Recently, a group of “strangers” has been stationed in the Zhengzhou Green Expo Garden. They are lantern makers from Zigong, Sichuan. It is reported that the team officially arrived at the Garden in late October and began to prepare for the making of large-scale lanterns so as to ensure that the citizens of Zhengzhou and surrounding cities can enjoy the magnificent lanterns feast on the New Year’s Day of 2019.

The lanterns of the Green Expo Garden are not only beautiful and creative in appearance, but also can achieve a three-dimensional effect through the using of sound and light. Everyman has his merits, so do the members of the lantern team. They have their own strengths. There are art designers, fitters, welders, electricians, paperhangers, and assemblers. The team is well-organized and skilled.

The making of the lanterns needs to go through several processes such as drawing, steel cutting, welding, assembling and paperhanging. Among them, steel cutting and paperhanging are the most complicated and time-consuming. Workers need to enlarge the design sketch and draw the main lines and contours on the ground. Then, they twist iron wires with a pair of pliers into curved lines and turn the plan into a frame of solid material;

Draw main lines and contours

Determine the sample

Twist the iron wires according to the main lines and contours

Weld the frame

According to the design requirements, the paperhangers needs to paste the satin and fabric of the right size on the welded skeleton of the artificial lamp with a special glue, and then paint the pattern manually on the surface of the lamp sets. Such complicated processes rely on the master’s unique ingenuity and skilled craftsmanship, and of course, patience.

Lion paperhanging

Lotus paperhanging

Traditional palace lantern paperhanging

 “Skilled work makes the best”. I believe that after two-month efforts, the large-scale festivel lanterns made by the lantern makers manually will let you feel a different New Year’s Day. Let’s enjoy the festivel lanterns and gorgeous night scene at Green Expo Garden from New Year’s Day to March 3, 2019.

Part of the components for the lantern show