Where should citizens go to appreciate the lanterns during the Lantern Festival? Where to see wonderful folk customer performances? The following is the roadmap for people to appreciate lanterns in the capital city of Anhui province.

■ Chenghuang Temple

Hefei Chenghuang Temple has appeared before the residents with an entirely new outlook after intense reconstruction. The engraved drama stage and the little theatre emerge with completely new decorations. During the Lantern Festival, the traveling show of folk customs with the theme of “Happily Celebrating the Spring Festival” will be presented in the courtyard of Hefei Cultural Center located at Chenghuang Temple. Moreover, “10,000 Lantern Riddles Solving Contest” and the special performances with the theme of “Celebrating the Spring Festival in Songs, Dances and Silk Robes” will be held at the same time. As the highlight of the Lantern Festival, the Lantern Show Street at Chenghuang Temple has attracted numerous residents. The residents of the capital city can also watch the presentation of various traditional crafts by the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.

Traffic route: Getting off at Chenghuang Temple Bus Stop by bus 114, 126, 127, 133,136; or Getting off at Chenghuang Temple Houjie Bus Stop by bus branch 125; for those who go there by their own cars, the cars can be parked at the three-dimensional parking garage on Changjiang Road.

■ Happy Island

The Lantern Festival is the last day of “Hefei Greeting Spring Festival Large-scale Lantern Fair” at Happy Island. There are eight exhibition areas, 80 sets of lanterns of different style, and 1,000 strings of twinkling-star lanterns and more than 8,000 colored lanterns. The highlight of the lantern show is China’s First Colored Lantern of Giant Dragon which is 318 meters long and 8.5 meters high., made by lantern expert from Zigong, Sichuan province. It has applied for Guiness world record. When it’s lit up, over 2,000 colored lanterns on the dragon illuminate at the same time. The scales of the dragon are made of 200,000 waste CDs, and they give out colorful radiance in the light of the colored lanterns. Except for appreciating the lanterns, there are also such activities as tasting delicacies, solving lantern riddles, and receiving red envelops.

Traffic route: Getting off at Huiyuan Bus Stop by bus 20, 126, 149, 150 and 226.

■ Sanhe Ancient town

On the Lantern Festival, Sanhe Ancient town will hold lantern show with the thematic lanterns of “Two Dragon Greeting Spring Festival” and the characteristic lanterns of Twelve Zodiacs Garden. On the Shanghecheng Square, over 50 lanterns of various colors will illuminate the ancient town from the afternoon to the night. Meanwhile, the local young people will perform the traditional dragon dance in the evening until 9 p.m.. The residents who love lanterns and dragon dance should not miss the opportunity.

Traffic route: Residents can take shuttle buses at the Tourist Bus Stop of the capital city, Nanmen Interchange Center, Xinya Bus Station, and the trip takes about 40 to 60 minutes.

■ China Intangible Cultural Heritage Park

The first China Intangible Cultural Heritage Park (Zigong, Hefei) International Lantern Art Festival will be held in Lantern Festival. It created 108 sets of large and medium-sized lanterns, consisting of a total of 60 million lights. There were seven themed zones: Magnificent China, Anhui’s Five Thousand Years of Dreams, Ancient Legends, Buddha Blesses the World, Land of Courtesy, Animation Paradise, and Colorful Anhui. During the Lantern Festival, the residents can enjoy such splendid lantern displays such as the Heritage of the Light, Sanhe Tower in Buddha Radiance, and Everything Regenerated, as well as various kinds of lanterns with folk characteristics, such as porcelain lanterns, falling-bottle lanterns, glass blown lanterns, bamboo knitted lanterns, and shadow-play lanterns. There are also tours of lantern exploration activity at site of the festival. Residents can participate in the making and installation of the lanterns, and can take them away.

Traffic route: China Intangible Cultural Heritage Park is located at Hehuai Road of Gangji town of Hefei (one kilometer north of the intersection of Hehuai Road and North Third Ring Road), and bus 143 goes to the park. Residents can take shuttle buses with free tickets at Mingzhu Square, Shengli Square, Zhengwu (Administrative) Area, the People’s Square, Nanmen Interchange Center, the Train Station and Nan Qi Li Bus Stop.

■ Daishan Lake

During the Lantern Festival, Daishan Lake International Tourist Resorts in Feidong county offers free tickets to all the tourists. Meanwhile, there are activities of guessing lantern riddles, winning prizes and releasing peaceful lanterns. The scenic area also prepares breath-taking fireworks party on the night of the Lantern Festival, and the tourists can appreciate the beautiful views of exploding fireworks at the lakeside. At the opposite side of Daishan Lake, the ancient Yanfan Temple will hold religious assembly on the Lantern Festival. The residents can light up a wish lantern, and pray for their relatives, friends and themselves.

Traffic route: The residents can take tourist special line buses from Hefei Bus East Station. And those who go by their own cars can drive along Liangyuan-Jiepai Highway in Feidong county.

■ Hefei Aquarium

To the residents who love marine animals, Hefei Aquarium is a good choice on the Lantern Festival. According to the relevant person in charge, the aquarium has scheduled several sessions of performances: Mermaid performance: 10: 00 and 13: 30; Sea lion performance: 10:35, 12:00, 14:00, and 15: 30; Human Dancing with Sharks Performance: 11:00, and 15:00; and Dolphin Feeding & Traning Performance: 09: 50, 11:30, 14:30, and 16: 00.

■ Communities

Around the Lantern Festival, many communities of Hefei city have organized various activities of appreciating lanterns and solving lantern riddles. Over a thousand palace lanterns are hung up in Shuhong New Village of Baohe district, and besides Shangpai Road and Tongcheng Road. On the night of the Lantern Festival, the residents can stroll in the streets, and guess lantern riddles . Those who have solved the riddles can win prizes.

（chinadaily.com.cn）