Using light and decoration to celebrate Lunar and Chinese New Year
Next week on January 28th, millions of people around the world will start preparation for the Chinese New Year, which in 2019 officially starts on February 5th, and ends on February 15th. Preparation for the Lantern Festival then begins on the 16th, with the festival itself taking place on the 19th.
Phew! That’s a lot of celebrating, and it’s a long time to celebrate too. In fact, because there isn’t a fixed day for Chinese New Year, which is also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, the celebrations can start as early as January 1st! With an estimated 1.65 billion people celebrating Chinese New Year around the world, many of whom come together with family and friends for feasting and honoring deities and ancestors, we can safely say that this is one of the most important cultural celebrations worldwide.
Five different design approaches to celebrate
It’s also a celebration that benefits from both light and decoration, something that we’re seeing with clients worldwide, and today we thought we’d look at some of the different festive lighting approaches that clients adopt celebrate Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, and Lantern Festival.
Opulent
In Las Vegas, at the Shops at Crystals, the 2018 Chinese New Year was celebrated in style with an enormous golden dragon that literally took visitors’ breaths away. Standing 24 feet tall and 53 feet long, this custom-design and handmade 3D light sculpture enhanced both the center and the retail spaces of the luxury brands located at Crystals.
MK Illumination USA designed and produced the golden dragon for Western Design LLC in a long term cooperation for their clients The Shops at Crystals, a Simon Property.
Traditional
Cadillac Fairview in Canada wanted to create the balance between traditional and striking for Chinese New Year in 2018, and the result was strings of luscious red and gold lanterns that hung throughout the center, wishing good luck to visitors from above.
Contemporary
In Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun, the center chose to use a mix of red, gold and white light to brighten up the evenings and honor the festive season. A large, circular lighting installation stood outside, strung with good wishes and decorated with pink leaves and blooms to celebrate spring.
Time-honored with a twist
Crown Perth will once again dazzle visitors with its spectacular Wishing Tree situated in Crown Metropol Hotel Lobby. Standing at 7.5m tall, the crystal Wishing Tree is decorated with traditional illuminated lanterns in red and gold, offering up wishes for prosperous Lunar & Chinese New Year.
Colorful and interactive
In 2018, Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun celebrated the Lantern Festival by installing an interactive display featuring an illuminated tree, flying lanterns, and a gong that when struck, would send a ripple of color through the lanterns and the tree, and send good wishes into the heavens.
How are you celebrating Chinese and Lunar New Year?
If you want to celebrate but you’re not sure how, get in touch. Whether your space is large or small, whether you need a solution that works indoors or outdoors, or whether your style is traditional or modern, our team of lighting and design experts can find a solution that’s right for you and that will drive visitors to your space.