By Jennifer Becker
This November, the Pomona Fairplex will host The Hanart Culture Chinese Lantern Festival, a fully immersive multicultural experience the entire family will love.
This premier event will be held every Thursday – Sunday for eight weeks, from Nov.15 to Jan. 6, 2019, plus holiday. The evening skies become ablaze with the color and light of more than 1,000 beautifully handcrafted lanterns at the Glade, Picnic Hill and Lagoon at Fairplex Pomona (1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona).
This year’s theme, “The Wild,” features five different locations – America, Oceania, Asia, Antarctica and Africa – and will showcase lanterns representing wild animals from each region including cheetahs, panda bears, jellyfish, majestic cranes, lions, and even dinosaurs.
These impressive lanterns range in size from 12 to 23-feet tall. This visually stunning display combines art, tradition, and culture, creating opportunities for alluring photographs and wonderful memories.
The Lantern Festival is one of China’s most traditional celebrations with the art of Chinese lantern making dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.).
“These gorgeous lanterns have evolved through the centuries, from when they were used for lighting, to an art form all their own. Chinese lanterns are a cherished part of festivals and celebrations worldwide and we are proud to bring the Hanart Culture Chinese Lantern Festival to Southern California,” said George Zhao, president of Hanart Culture.
A lantern’s construction is varied according to its purpose, from the finest silk or glass over the best wood used in Palaces, to the red gauze stretched over bamboo in the more traditional red lanterns recognized around the globe.
Shadow-picture lanterns used a paper wheel inside which turned when heated, creating moving pictures around the outside of the lantern.
Today, these lanterns are made of modern materials and technology with brilliantly lit colored LED light bulbs, musical enhancements and sound effects, and visual moving parts to create larger-than-life imaginative shapes.
Furthermore, four ceramic elephants made of 3,200 kitchen utensils such as dishes, bowls, spoons, and wine cups will be on display.
The festival will also feature food, Kung Fu shows and demonstrations, and shadow play. Guests will also be able to shop the craft marketplace where authentic Chinese jewelry, artifacts, dough figurines, as well as Chinese embroidery art, sugar art, paper-cut and fabric art will be available for purchase.
“In addition to the spectacular lanterns, we are excited to share the beauty of other aspects of Chinese culture including food, arts, crafts, dance, and martial arts. Guests will also be able to enjoy and experience a wide assortment of Chinese culture,” Zhao said.
Tickets can be purchased at the event, or online at www.ChineseLanternFestival.com for $13 – $21. Gates open from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the last admission at 9:20 p.m. Fairplex parking is $12.
For the latest information, visit www.ChineseLanternFestival.com.
Hanart Culture is a producer/management agent of live theatrical entertainment. They exclusively represent performing artists and attractions and arrange to tour throughout North America. Hanart Culture handles different aspects of performance solicitation, negotiation and contracting engagements, as well as post-booking services (i.e. supplying press, photos, etc.) to make every performance a?success. “Han” is the largest nationality of China; “Art” stands for a variety of art styles, including Kung Fu, Acrobatics etc.
