Yuyuan lantern festival in Bangkok to celebrate China-Thailand ties
An artist's view of how the Yuyuan Lantern Festival might look in Bangkok.
The Yuyuan Lantern Festival in Bangkok on June 27 will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand.
The 50-day event will be held at ICONSIAM, a major shopping and cultural complex along the Chao Phraya River, and will run through August 15.
The festival, officially titled "Spirit of Mountains and Seas – Yuyuan Lantern Festival and 2025 China-Thailand Culture Month," will bring a traditional Chinese celebration to Thai audiences.
It is being hosted by Yuyuan Inc., which has organized the Shanghai-based lantern festival for 30 years.
The festival is one of China's most famous folk events. It dates back hundreds of years and is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.
In recent years, the event has expanded beyond China, with a successful overseas debut in Paris from December 2023 to February 2024 that attracted nearly 200,000 visitors.
This year's Bangkok edition will be based on the ancient Chinese mythological text "Classic of Mountains and Seas." Organizers said the show will use modern lighting technology to create a large-scale immersive experience, combining traditional aesthetics with digital displays.
The Jardin d'Acclimatation in Paris featured over 2,000 traditional Yuyuan Garden lanterns last year.
Visitors will walk through dozens of lantern installations resembling floating islands, each decorated with mythical animals, rare plants, and scenic wonders drawn from Chinese legends.
These illuminated scenes will appear to hover over the riverbank, forming a fantasy landscape inspired by Chinese storytelling, the organizer said.
Hu Junjie, vice president of Yuyuan Inc., said the festival is a gift to honor the long-standing relationship between the two countries.
"We hope it adds brightness to the bond between China and Thailand," said Hu.
The event will also include a cultural market, live performances, and themed art exhibits. One major highlight will be the "Exploring the Classic of Mountains and Seas" exhibition, which will use digital light art, paintings, and sculptures to bring ancient Chinese myths to life.
A cultural week during the festival's first days will feature Chinese creative brands and traditional crafts, including interactive workshops and product showcases.
The annual lantern fair began using the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" as a theme in 2023. It attracted about 4 million visitors in Shanghai early this year.
A giant snake lantern during the 2025 Yuyuan Lantern Festival
