From the beginning of the Chinese New Year to the Lantern Festival this year, Guangdong's traditional cultural elements have taken the spotlight. Enjoying lanterns has become a hot trend for residents and tourists.From February 10th to 22nd, ticket orders for attractions with keywords like "Lantern Festival" and "lanternshow" have surged by 260%, and searches for the keyword "lanternshow" have increased by over 720% compared to the same period last year.

Guangdong has always been a gathering place for lanternshows. During theChinese New Year, the exquisite lanterns in Guangzhou's Yuexiu Park create a Cantonese festive atmosphere. A 100-meter-long dragon moves with the play of light and shadows, attracting numerous visitors to take pictures.

In addition to Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou Cultural Park's 2024 LanternShow continues to light up fromFebruary 21st to 24th. The theme lanterns incorporate seasonal flowers, showcasing the characteristics of southernChina. In Shenzhen, the "Super LanternShow in theGreater Bay Area"showcases lanterns in an area of 20,000 square meters, and all lantern groups are handmade on-site by artisans from Zigong, Sichuan. Shenzhen's Splendid China Folk Culture Village has kicked off the "Fifth Splendid Lantern Festival Carnival," with tens of thousands of lantern festival tickets sold on Meituan. The attraction has also introduced "tickets for people wearing Han-style clothing" on various platforms, attracting more traditional culture enthusiasts to visit.

In addition to lanternshows, various themed activities are also abundant. Foshan's annual "Xing Tong Ji"(a traditional custom for praying blessings) took place from February 23rd to 25th, where visitors could participate in themed activities, explore 93 temporary stalls, experience fashion elementsand China chic, and immerse themselves in Foshan's traditional intangible cultural heritage. Inthe westernpart ofGuangdong, the cultural customs of "firecracker attack on liondance" and "rolling on the thorny bed" have been preserved, showcasing local cultural traditions during the Lantern Festival with a mix of excitement and tradition.

Considering that the Lantern Festival falls on a weekend this year, the popularity of lantern-related cultural and tourism activities has soared across the country. Data from online travel services provider Trip.com shows that during the weekend of February24th to 25th, overall domestic tourism bookings increased by over 140% compared to last year. Many places organized activities such as lantern riddles, lion dances, and fireworks displays, creating a festive atmosphere once again. As of the 21st, searches for "Lantern Festival" on travel agency Tongcheng Travelincreased by more than 300% weekly, and the popularity of "Where to go for Lantern Festival" on Mafengwo, a Chinese travel service and social networking platform, also saw a 300% surge. On the Tongcheng Travel, Guangzhou and Shenzhen have become the two most active cities for cultural and tourism consumption during the Lantern Festival, with Guangzhou also ranking among the top ten popular cities on the Tujia, a homestay online platform.

Of note, a recent cooling trend has driven hot springs to become the most sought-after activity outside of lantern festivals. According to Mafengwo's big data, the popularity of "Guangdong hot springs" has increased by 133%, and "recommended unique hot springs" has become a popular topic in Mafengwo's Guangdong travel strategy group. The people of Guangdong aretakingthelead nationwidein their enthusiasm for a spa.

The Cantonese-style Lantern Festival atmosphere becomes stronger, and the peopleinGuangdong celebrate theChineseNew Year with lanterns, windmills, firecrackers, and dragon dances. The Lantern Festival marks the end of theChinese New Year celebration, but behind the sense of ceremony, the connection of history, culture, and emotions never fades.