Yu Yuan Lantern Festival 2019

Finally - amidst much complaining from Poppy about how cold it was - we made it to the Shanghai Yu Yuan Lantern Festival 2019. This festival happens each year on the 14th or 15th day after Chinese New Year - on the night of the first full moon of the year. To be honest it just seems like an excuse to get friends and family together for one more big party - there did not seem to be a "main event" so to speak. We were expecting something like a release of small lanterns, release of a single giant lantern even, fireworks perhaps, dancing or parades? Nada as far as we could tell?!

We did however enjoy some less conventional sights: Chinese army guards standing at attention around nothing - does not seem like a great job to be honest, as some passing Chinese locals remarked as well! Then we happened by a mini-motorcade and televised interview of what appeared to be a mid-level government official sharing celebratory greetings with the police team (or maybe those were his bodyguards) and gathered crowd. We also took advantage of the festive surroundings to try some street food: After a bit of a wait at Shanghai Dumpling, which was serving up these nummy lamb skewers that everyone but everyone was gobbling, we successfully procured our own and boy was it ever delicious!

The main part of Yu Yuan was actually closed off as a pay-to-enter area. Potentially some fabulously entertaining activities were going on in there. In any case, most were not sufficiently impressed by either what was visible to the public or advertised online to be motivated to cover the relatively steep entrance fee.Okumaya devam et