Nigeria Times

By Gong Xiangjuan, People’s Daily

At an accessibility communication center named Xinzhiguang, which means “the light of heart,” in north China’s Tianjin municipality, Wang Hui was sitting in front of a computer, preparing for a speech to be delivered at a conference in the afternoon.

Wang was invited by Tianjin’s municipal health commission to provide an interpretation of relevant policies in internet information accessibility, so as to assist in the construction of accessible medical service information platforms.

Wang is the first person with visual impairment in Tianjin to obtain a legal professional qualification. In high school, Wang was diagnosed with optic atrophy, and doctors advised him to transfer to a school for visually impaired students, as they believed he would not be able to pass the college entrance exams.

However, Wang refused to give up and said, “How would I know if I don’t even try?” In the end, with several times the effort of an average person, he was admitted to Lanzhou University, a renowned higher institution in northwest China’s Gansu province.

In his sophomore year, Wang’s eye disease worsened, forcing him to take a one-year leave from university. However, he decided to go back to campus, hoping to graduate successfully like his fellow classmates. Unable to see, he relied on recording and listening repeatedly. In 2008, he became the first graduate of his university with visual impairment.

Wang Hui is optimistic and loves to ponder. Whenever he encounters problems in mobility, daily life, or work, he takes note of them and seeks out others to discuss possible solutions. His go-to phrase is, “There’s always a way, and I just need time to find it.” If he doesn’t know how to use a new product, he requests a user manual from customer service. And if he notices design details that overlook the practical needs of individuals with visual impairment, he isn’t hesitant to provide direct feedback.

In the past, what persons with visual impairment read was only barille and their entertainment is nothing else but listening to the radio. To solve this problem, Wang has spent over a decade working with friends to develop screen reading software, tackle information barriers and teach persons with visual impairment to use cell phones and computers.

Zhao, 60, who lost her sight due to illness, came to Wang to learn how to use a cell phone. Staying from 9 am to 5 pm, she told Wang, “It’s so great to have your help, and this makes me confident again in my future.”

An elderly learner with full visual impairment sent a poem to a friend through his mobile phone after learning there. Upon receiving a reply, he expressed his gratitude to Wang, holding the latter’s hand. “Wang, thank you! You are the eyes for us,” the elderly learner said.

In the past, Wang’s focus was on technology. However, the gratitude and expectations for him from his learners made him realize he could do even more.

The power of an individual is limited, so Wang started thinking how to make the society pay more attention to the visually impaired group and build an accessible environment for persons with disabilities. He believes in addition to technology, legal protection is also needed.

Ten years after graduation from university, Wang decided to take the legal professional qualification examination. He got up at 4 am every day in order to complete the over 1,500 hours of audio courses. He took electronic notes while listening to the courses, and after finishing work, he kept listening until late at night. This compressed his daily sleep time to only four to five hours.

Being afraid that examinees with visual impairment would be denied entry to examination rooms, Wang wrote a letter to the justice bureau of Tianjin municipality explaining his situation. To his surprise, three or four days later, he received a notification allowing him to participate in the exam.

The justice bureau of Tianjin municipality arranged a separate examination room for Wang, who independently completed all the subjects using screen reading software.

In 2019, Wang successfully passed the exam and joined a local law firm in Tianjin, becoming the first lawyer with visual impairment in Tianjin. Wang’s story has inspired more people with visual impairment to build confidence and make a change.

Wang, after careful consideration, established a Xinzhiguang smart classroom as an online platform that aims to break geographical barriers and expand the coverage of public services for visually impaired individuals.

To cater to visually impaired individuals with no prior experience in using the internet, he also keeps the brick-and-mortar Xinzhiguang accessibility communication center to provide legal education, and share knowledge about smart devices and practical life skills. The Yunyangli community in Nankai district, Tianjin, provides a venue for the Xinzhiguang accessibility communication center.

In 2023, Wang was appointed as an observer for public interest litigation at the People’s Procuratorate of Tianjin. During his tenure, Wang handled an administrative public interest litigation case, which aimed to ensure barrier-free access for visually impaired individuals in public transportation. This case was selected as a typical example of accessibility environment construction in public interest litigation by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate in 2023.

With unwavering determination and relentless efforts, Wang illuminated a beacon of hope and strength for other persons with visual impairment through concrete actions. He brought light into their lives, instilling them with renewed hope and resilience.

By Wang Ke, People’s Daily

At the National Museum of Classic Books, an immersive exhibition hall has been launched to present a fascinating journey exploring the past and present of the Yongle Encyclopedia, the largest encyclopedia in ancient China commissioned by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty(1368-1644).

Based on the history of the Yongle Encyclopedia, this exhibition hall incorporates rich science fiction elements and utilizes digital technology to lead the visitors through different time and space dimensions in history.

With six viewing routes and four story endings that can be chosen by the visitors, the immersive exhibition presents an interesting plot that brings the visitors closer to the charming traditional culture.

Currently, immersive cultural and tourism experiences are favored by Chinese tourists, such as immersive performing arts, immersive night tours, immersive exhibitions, and immersive cultural blocks.

A tourism enhancement plan for the period between 2023 and 2025 issued by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2023 proposed to accelerate the development of smart tourism and create new immersive and smart tourism experiences and scenes.

An official of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism noted that immersive and smart tourism spaces use technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to create interactive experiences for tourists. By combining digital elements with cultural and creative features at destinations like tourist attractions, resorts, museums, and heritage sites, this will produce new tourism products and consumer experiences. The goal is to deeply engage tourists and allow them to interact with these blended virtual and real environments.

Recently, China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly announced the first pilot list on cultivating national new spaces for smart tourism and immersive experience.

Nearly 1/3 of the projects on the list were related to culture and museums, including the Yongle encyclopedia-themed immersive exhibition at the National Museum of Classic Books, the “Magnificence and Grandeur: Immersive Experience of Grotto Art” at the National Museum of China, “The Dreams of Lady Xin Zhui” digital exhibition featuring the restoration of cultural relics unearthed from the Changsha Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tombs, and an immersive smart tourism space initiated by the Dunhuang Academy.

Statistics released by Meituan and Dianping, two Chinese shopping platforms for locally found consumer products and retail services, indicated that “immersive” has become a hot search term and booking for cultural and tourism products over the Spring Festival holiday in major tourism cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu.

“The popularity of immersive tourism is driven by efforts on both the supply and demand sides,” said Liu Min, a professor at the Tourism College of Beijing Union University.

On the supply side, new technologies like the internet and virtual reality are accelerating their application in the cultural and tourism sector, driving continuous innovation in immersive and smart tourism offerings. On the demand side, tourism consumption shows a clear trend towards personalization and diversification. Tourists have a stronger demand for new cultural and tourism integrated products, providing ample room for innovation and development in culture and tourism.

Lu Mengxi, head of Meituan cultural and tourism research institute, believes that tourism is gradually shifting from rushed sightseeing towards in-depth travel and interactive leisure. Immersive tourism allows people to gain knowledge and appreciate culture through immersive interactions, providing tourists with a brand new experience. This is the main reason behind its continuing popularity.

Experts believe immersive tourism has immense room for development. Cultural and tourism enterprises should keep up with consumer trends and create more diverse, high-quality immersive tourism products to tap the greater potential of cultural and tourism consumption.

By Shi Yuanhao, People’s Daily

Brazil exported more than 39.24 million 60-kg bags of coffee last year, on par with those in 2022, according to the the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council.

Of these, 1.48 million bags were exported to China, a significant 278.6 percent increase over 2022, making China the 6th largest export destination for Brazilian coffee.

“In 2017, Brazil’s coffee exports to China were less than 83,000 bags. In recent years, coffee consumption in the Chinese market has achieved continuous growth, and Brazilian coffee is gaining more popularity,” said Marcos Antonio Matos, director general of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council.

He said that with its large population, China still has great room for growth in coffee consumption. Brazil values the Chinese coffee market and hopes more Chinese merchants will purchase Brazilian coffee beans.

Minas Gerais is one of Brazil’s main coffee producing states. It said on its news website that the Chinese market provides important opportunities for the Brazilian coffee industry.

Specialty coffee is one of the key growth areas for Brazilian coffee exports to China. The Mantiqueira region, located at the junction of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states, has high altitudes and large diurnal temperature variation, making it a sound place for growing coffee.

Helcio Junior, Executive Director of Unique Cafes located in Mantiqueira, said that his company has cooperated with its Chinese partners for eight years and long been engaged in the promotion and sales of specialty coffee in China.

Unique Cafes has also participated in the China International Import Expo in Shanghai multiple times through the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.

“The Chinese market is boosting growth in Brazilian coffee exports,” said Junior.

The Cerrado Coffee Growers Federation in Minas Gerais recently said that China is one of the most promising countries for importing high-quality Brazilian coffee in the future, and expanding the coffee business in the Chinese market will be an important effort going forward.

Brazil’s CarmoCoffees, mainly engaged in coffee bean exports, often sends its commercial trader for the Chinese market, Brayan Cunha Souza, to participate in relevant exhibitions held in Chinese cities.

“In many Chinese cities, you can see more and more coffee shops popping up on streets and alleys. Demand in the Chinese market for Brazilian coffee, especially specialty coffee, continues to grow,” Souza said.

Brazilian coffee brands attach great importance to the Chinese market and will continue to strengthen cooperation with Chinese partners, he added.

“There are certain differences among Brazil’s coffee-producing regions, so we can provide coffees with diverse flavors,” said Eduardo Heron Santos, technical director of the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council.

He added that the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council is committed to investing in research on coffee varieties and tastes to further meet the diversified demands of the Chinese coffee market.

By Liu Shiyao, Hu Runxin, People’s Daily

China’s Qinling Station started operation on Inexpressible Island in the Terra Nova Bay of Antarctica on Feb. 7.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on the completion of the building of the Qinling Station and its operation in Antarctica. He said the completion of the building of the Qinling Station will provide a strong guarantee for scientists in China and around the world to continue to explore the mysteries of nature and bravely ascend the peak of science.

Antarctica has immense value for scientific research. It is hailed as the golden key to unlock the Earth’s mysteries and a natural science laboratory.

Because of its distinctive geographical conditions and natural environment, changes in Antarctica will have incalculable impacts on the global climate and environment.

The Qinling Station is China’s fifth research station in Antarctica, after the Great Wall, Zhongshan, Kunlun, and Taishan Stations. It is also China’s third Antarctic research base to be operational throughout the year.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s polar expedition. Over the past 40 years, China has launched five stations and two research vessels for Antarctic research, entering an era of three-dimensional development across sea, land and air.

The Great Wall Station is located on King George Island, the Zhongshan Station in the Larsemann Hills, the Kunlun Station and Taishan Station in Antarctica’s inland region, and the Qinling Station in the Ross Sea area. Their geographic differences exactly bring greater value to scientific research.

The region where the Great Wall Station is located is suitable for subantarctic ecological monitoring and research. The Zhongshan Station is an ideal place to observe and study the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet and the interactions between the ice shelf and the ocean. It is also an excellent location for research in aerophysics, geology, geophysics and other disciplines.

The Kunlun and Taishan stations in Antarctica’s inland enable frontier research in ice core science, atmospheric science and astronomical science.

The Ross Sea region features interactions between the lithosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and atmosphere – different layers of the Earth system. This helps researchers investigate important scientific questions like how changes in Antarctica affect the whole world.

Over the past 40 years, China has become a driving force in Antarctic scientific exploration, achieving many breakthroughs in fields like glaciology, space science, bio-ecology, and climate change.

Countless “firsts” have marked the fruitful achievements of China’s Antarctic expeditions.

The first Chinese Antarctic expedition team conducted the first multidisciplinary field scientific survey near the Great Wall Station.

During the 19th Chinese Antarctic expedition, China tracked and monitored changes in the thickness of Antarctic sea ice for the first time in the world.

The 21st expedition team entered the area of the Dome Argus (Dome A), the peak of Antarctica’s inland icecap, and carried out substantive scientific investigations, for the first time in the history of Antarctic research.

In recent years, China has conducted continuous observations of the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, glaciers, soil, bio-ecology and other elements of Antarctica. This has made important contributions to the international community’s understanding of the polar regions, especially the interaction between global climate change and Antarctica.

Over the past 40 years, China has always been an active contributor to environmental protection in Antarctica.

In early September 1990, the Great Wall Station temporarily halted the use of all vehicles and required staff to walk on foot, in order to ensure a good environment for seals around the station during their pregnancy and following childbirth.

At the 31st Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 2008, the Antarctic Specially Protected Area around Mount Harding in the middle of the Grove Mountains proposed by China was approved. As the first Antarctic Specially Protected Area independently proposed by China, it has made positive contributions to environmental protection in the region.

China’s first independently built polar icebreaker, the Xuelong 2, is a well-deserved “green” vessel. From the control of exhaust emissions, sewage and waste discharge, to real-time regulation of air conditioning and heating, and even the use of paints, all are in strict compliance with environmental requirements.

Environmental protection was also integrated throughout the construction process of the Qinling Station. Through integrated design, domestic modular customization and pre-assembly were implemented to save energy, water and materials.

In addition, the station reduced the number of temporary facilities and construction personnel on site to minimize the scope of construction activities, aligning with the goal of building an environmentally sustainable research station.

Over the past 40 years, China has become an important participant in the international governance of Antarctica.

In 1983, China acceded to the Antarctic Treaty. In October 1985, China became a consultative party to the Antarctic Treaty, obtaining decision-making status in international polar affairs.

In 2017, China successfully hosted the 40th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the 20th Meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection, where it led the proposal of an international initiative on green expeditions, which was widely recognized by the international community.

In 2023, China and several other countries jointly submitted a proposal to promote international cooperation on aerial surveys of the Antarctic ice cap and improve the accuracy of global sea level rise projections. Since 2012, China has submitted over 80 proposals individually or jointly to relevant polar international organizations, comprehensively participating in the formulation of rules and regulations related to polar environmental protection and resource conservation.

By Wu Yue, People’s Daily

“Liang, where are you going, ” asked a villager in Xikou village, Mingshuihe township, Arxan of Hinggan League, north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

“I have a guest, so I’m showing him around the village,” Liang Shusen answered.

Today, Xikou village has become more and more enriched with cultural landscapes – a cultural square covered by artistic works, sculptures scattered among the woods on hills, and an art gallery turned from an old village office where photography exhibitions are often held.

This artistic atmosphere has been created thanks to some teachers and students from the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU).

An art fair was previously held in Xikou village. The chief curator of the event and dean of the AADTHU Ma Sai told People’s Daily that as one of the organizers of the event, the academy has taken over 200 teachers and students in more than 10 batches to Xikou village for artistic exploration since September 2022.

Last summer, Xikou village teamed up with several artists from art schools and design institutions to carry out art creations in the small mountain village. Through creative collaborations, the village has been infused with new artistic charm.

“This work is called ‘Fish Every Year’ and we participated in its creation,” said Dong Yali, head of a willow weaving workshop in Xikou village, referring to a group of “fish” weaved with curved willow branches. The work has the best wish of “may there be surpluses every year,” because the Chinese word for fish is a homophone of the word for surplus.

When the LED light strips on the creation are illuminated in the night, it looks as if the fish are swimming in the sky.

Having been engaged in willow weaving for over 30 years, Dong had never imagined that one day she would collaborate with students and teachers from the AADTHU.

“In the past, most of what we made were daily necessities and decorations. Now, willow branches have become art pieces. It’s especially fulfilling to introduce them to tourists,” she said.

The main designer of “Fish Every Year” is Professor Lin Lecheng at the AADTHU. Engaged in fiber art research and design, Lin became interested in the willow branches when he first visited Xikou village.

Therefore, his team then used local materials and collaborated with the villagers to create the artwork. The exhibition label on the side of “Fish Every Year” lists the names of the 12 villagers who participated in its creation.

In Lin’s view, art is vitalized when it comes to the countryside. The vast rural areas provide fertile ground for creativity and offer ample space for artistic works.

Kong Fandi, who graduated from the AADTHU, was born in the 1990s and grew up in the city. Last year, he made several trips to Xikou village.

He was inspired by the firewood sticks used by the villagers, so he started making art pieces with them. “Wood comes from the forest, and I want to ‘move’ them back to the forest,” he said.

Kong collected unused wood from the villagers and stacked it in a natural and artistic way with different colors. Together with nine villagers, he created an artwork called “Waves of Forests,” which shines like a rainbow in the forest.

The villagers participated in the creation by fixing the wood and painting. They also documented the process through short videos on social media.

“Some villagers said they want to transform their homes into B&B hotels for tourists to enjoy the scenery. I think this is a manifestation of art empowering rural areas,” Kong said.

In Xikou village, the artistic works bear the imprint of villagers’ participation, and many of the villagers can explain the connotation behind the artworks to visitors. The village brings inspiration to art creation, and the vibrancy of art also permeates the lives of the villagers.

Villager Su Lihong has placed vibrant bouquets in front of her family restaurant, which makes the restaurant more lively.

“These decorations were done by my family – after seeing other people’s artworks, I also wanted to give it a try,” Su said.

“The village is becoming more beautiful, and more and more tourists are coming here. As a result, our restaurant’s business has also improved,” she added.

Shang Yan, the owner of an inn in Xikou village, held a T-shirt designed by students and teachers from the AADTHU, hoping to have each creator sign their names on it.

“The students staying at our inn have such amazing design works, and I would love to collect a few pieces. In the summer of 2023, we had more guests staying at our inn, and our income increased by 1/3 compared to the same period the previous year,” said Shang.

It is reported that Xikou village is a key village for rural tourism in China. During an art season in 2023, the village saw approximately 8,000 visits, with tourism revenue exceeding 2 million yuan ($281,611).

The students from the AADTHU are also looking forward to returning to Xikou village. Undergraduate student Sun Qian and her classmates completed an artwork, making swallows out of colorful acrylic panels to express the fond memories and dreams of the wanderers for their hometown.

This experience made her have deeper reflections on comprehensive rural revitalization. “I hope that with the development of rural areas, more young people will return like swallows.”

By Qiu Chaoyi, Li Xinping, Han Xin, People’s Daily

The Spring Festival travel rush, carrying people’s hopes for family reunion, reflects the new landscape of China’s high-quality development.

During the 2024 Spring Festival holiday, which ran from Feb. 10 to 17, China reported about 2.3 billion trips in varied modes of transport. In particular, the railway system handled about 99.59 million trips; about 2.18 billion trips were made on highways; waterway and civil aviation trips stood at 9.4 million and 18.04 million.

Regions and departments across China have strengthened coordination, increased transport capacity reserves, and prepared contingency plans, to make Spring Festival travels safer, more convenient and cozier, injecting vitality into this country on the move.

In 2023, China saw the introduction of new high-speed rail lines spanning 2,776 kilometers, along with the construction and expansion of over 7,000 kilometers of expressways. Additionally, the accessibility of domestic air routes expanded by 23 percent, providing strong support for meeting the travel demands during the Spring Festival holiday and facilitating regional connectivity.

During this year’s Spring Festival holiday, Chen, who resides in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian province, took his family to the ancient city of Quanzhou in the province, taking the G1609 high-speed train. The trip only took them less than an hour.

The Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed railway is China’s first cross-sea high-speed railway designed for a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. With the opening of it, the travel time between Fuzhou and Xiamen has been shortened to around an hour, while that among Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and other cities has been cut to half an hour.

At the end of last year, the full opening of the Beijing-Xiong’an expressway just gave Zhang Chenghui, whose hometown is in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei province, a new option to return home.

“The road is smooth, signs are clear, and the scenery is beautiful. It only takes an hour to drive from Beijing to Xiong’an. It’s so convenient,” he said.

In Hefei, east China’s Anhui province, an intelligent operation command center for expressways was recently put into use by Anhui Transportation Holding Group, which is able to obtain real-time traffic, weather and other information, thus ensuring safe travel during the Spring Festival travel rush.

Last November, the Anyang Hongqiqu Airport in Anyang, central China’s Henan province opened for operation, becoming the first civil airport in the north of the province.

“With the new airport, it’s much more convenient to return home now,” said a woman surnamed Cai, who was traveling back to Anyang from Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong province. Previously, it took her over seven hours by high-speed rail to get home, but now the trip has been shortened to 2.5 hours by plane.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, regions across China introduced a series of thoughtful services, striving to improve passenger experience and provide strong support for safe and convenient travel.

“Tongtong, you did great!” At Beijing Daxing International Airport, a man surnamed Liu took his grandson Tongtong from the ground crew of China Southern Airlines. He soon called the child’s mother, telling her that Tongtong had arrived safe and sound.

Tongtong, 6, was able to fly alone across much of China from Guangzhou, thanks to the upgraded “unaccompanied minor” boarding service introduced by China Southern Airlines during the Spring Festival travel rush.

“From check-in, security check, boarding to pick-up, there is a staff member accompanying the child at every step, so the little ones will not leave our sight,” said Yi Liang, a staff member at the China Southern Airlines special passenger service counter at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

Yi said that with the increase in passenger flow and flights this Spring Festival, China Southern Airlines has further upgraded its special passenger services. Since the start of the Spring Festival travel rush, China Southern Airlines has provided services to over 600 unaccompanied minors and other special passengers on a daily basis.

During the Spring Festival, regions across China also strengthened the organization of freight sources and smoothed logistics channels to fully ensure the adequate supply of important livelihood commodities.

In Shaanxi province, the Haolebaoji-Ji’an railway increased coal transport capacity; in Jiangsu province, multiple express delivery companies stayed operational during the Spring Festival to deliver New Year goods to households; in Hainan province, ports of the Qiongzhou Strait implemented 24-hour operations to meet the needs of ro-ro passenger ships…

China on the move reflects the joy of reunion and mirrors the vitality of development.

By Li Kaixuan, People’s Daily

In a workshop of Zigong Longteng Culture and Art Co., Ltd. based in Zigong, southwest China’s Sichuan province, the skeleton of a loong-shaped lantern was completed amid flying sparks from welding.

Loong, or Chinese dragon, the fifth sign in the traditional Chinese zodiac animal cycle, represents a totem of the Chinese nation. This year’s Chinese Spring Festival coincides with the Year of the Loong.

On the other side, a worker meticulously pasted and colored the scales of the “loong,” gradually revealing the enchanting charm of the lantern.

The lantern production process is complex, including designing, drafting blueprints, selecting appropriate materials for shaping, arranging lighting and drive systems, gluing, and painting, which requires many skilled workers.

During festivals, the lantern industry in Zigong can drive 100,000 people employment, including temporary labor, said Deng Peilin, chairman of Zigong Longteng Culture and Art Co., Ltd.

Lanterns are a symbol of Zigong and a crucial driver of local economic development. As early as the Spring Festival in 1964, the first lantern festival of the city was held, which bonded the city with lanterns.

After years of development, the lantern industry in Zigong today, including design, manufacturing, exhibition and other segments, has become increasingly specialized, with the industrial chain being continuously improved.

Nowadays, there are over 1,000 lantern-related companies in Zigong, with an annual output value of about 6 billion yuan ($830 million) and a share of 85 percent in the domestic lantern exhibition market.

Many of the orders received by Deng’s company were from overseas. “Thanks to the popularity of the Zigong lantern festival, lantern products are widely showcased at important exhibitions and major international sales platforms such as the Canton Fair. This ensures sales channels for our lantern products,” said Deng.

On Feb. 2 this year, the 30th Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival officially kicked off. A group of lanterns featuring “nian” (year in Chinese), a mythical beast thought to have preyed on people and livestock at the turn of the year in Chinese myth, attracted many visitors. These giant mechanical monsters swayed their heads and roared from time to time.

Weighing over 10 tons, these “beasts” can flexibly complete more than a dozen moves, said Zhong Yi, chief planner of the lantern fair. Zhong noted that these “beasts,” made by colorful lamp craft combined with simulated dinosaur mechanical drive, were equipped with “AI brains,” enabling them to “talk” with visitors.

The Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival hosted each year is a feast of excellent craftsmanship, materials, and design concepts.

For instance, a lantern set for the first time used water-soluble resin molding, making the characters’ faces almost lifelike.

Design concepts of lanterns are also updated. Popular game and trendy toy characters have been made into lanterns, and the lantern fair used spray guns and airbrushes to depict color gradients, creating a visually dazzling effect.

It is learned that Zigong’s lantern industry holds over 160 patents and 7,000 lantern copyrights. In 2023, Zigong’s lantern companies undertook over 200 colored lantern projects.

Continued innovation relies on the support of talent. Sichuan University of Science and Engineering established China’s first lantern school. Zigong Vocational and Technical College has set up a colored lantern major. Every year, over 2,000 “lantern craftsmen” are cultivated in Zigong.

On Feb. 11, a Chinese lantern festival was hosted in Montauban, France, which received a total of more than 300,000 visits. Huang Mingshu, who heads an overseas engineering team of Zigong Lantern Group and participated in organizing the lantern festival, said he was proud as a part of the event.

Last September, Huang and his team went to France for the preparation of the lantern festival. “We had a team of over 80 people, including all the necessary trades for designing, producing, and installation,” he said.

The materials and semi-finished products for making the lanterns were transported by China-Europe freight trains or by sea, and then further processed by the team on-site. It took about three months to complete the installation.

In 1990, Zigong lanterns made their first appearance overseas in Singapore. Since then, they have been exhibited in over 80 countries and regions, capturing 92 percent of the overseas lantern exhibition market.

In 2023, lantern enterprises in Zigong launched 90 overseas projects, achieving a cultural export value of $50.61 million.

Zigong has also established a lantern metaverse research and development center, which extensively applies technologies such as holographic projection and laser water curtain films to overseas lantern festivals.

Culture becomes more colorful because of communication. At the lantern festival held in France, visitors could enter a fantasy world composed of scenes such as the vast starry sky and mysterious forest, guided by a “magical hat.” Chinese elements such as landscapes and giant pandas were interspersed with Western cultural elements.

“We have introduced cartoon characters like Snoopy and Peter Rabbit at the lantern festival, and also used lanterns to interpret picture books by foreign authors. These exhibits were highly appreciated by foreign visitors,” said Li Zhongwen, general manager of the international market department of Zigong Lantern Group.