Latest Events in Sichuan(April Updated)

The 32nd Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival will open at China Lantern World on January 24, 2026. This year's lantern festival, themed "Illuminating China, Building Dreams for the Future," features 10 major sections including "Chinese Knot Boulevard," "Fortune Square," "Mulan Legend," "Artisan Intangible Heritage," and "Magical China." With 11 large-scale lantern installations and over 200 medium and small lantern displays, it creates an immersive celebration blending intangible cultural heritage techniques with cutting-edge digital technology, offering visitors an artistic panorama of "Harmonious Coexistence." This is a spectacular lantern festival blending ancient and modern elements, where Zigong lanterns, tie-dyeing, paper-cutting, and other intangible cultural heritage techniques are deeply integrated with Chinese mythological epics and classic historical tales. Centered around the imagery of the Year of the Horse, numerous folk stories, ancient legends, and cultural elements will be brilliantly showcased through the lantern displays. The "Chinese Knot Gate" lantern installation, standing 35m tall and inspired by traditional Chinese knots, achieves visual harmony from both front and back views, resembling a time portal connecting past and present. The massive "Mystical China" lantern set, approximately 210m long, draws from Zhuangzi's grand imagery of the Kunpeng fish-bird, using mythological storytelling to showcase national strength and ethnic pride. The 22m-tall "Yearly Fortune" Nian Beast lantern features AI interactive systems, enabling heartwarming "conversations" between humans and this ancient auspicious creature. For the upcoming Year of the Horse, the 180m-long "Mulan's Legend" installation—based on the Ballad of Mulan—pairs dynamic horse sculptures with Mulan's heroic bearing, conveying profound patriotic sentiment. This is a creative world where "everything can become a lamp,"This year's lantern festival pushes creative boundaries by incorporating eco-friendly recycled materials like blue-and-white porcelain, straw, medicine bottles, and chili peppers, alongside local cultural elements and trendy materials such as pipe cleaners into themed lantern displays. Not only does it showcase the concept of "turning waste into treasure," but it also revitalizes ordinary materials through intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, embodying the cultural essence of "everything has a spirit, and masterful artistry unites all." In the "Imagine the Future" section, the dreamy lantern display "Fantasy Lantern Collection" draws inspiration from children's artwork, featuring nearly 6,000 paintings by kids worldwide. Skilled lantern artisans, like modern-day "Magic Paintbrush Ma Liang," transform these imaginative drawings into vibrant lanterns. These creations transcend skin color, age, and nationality, using light and shadow as a bridge to connect children's innocent dreams globally, planting the seeds of "Zigong lanterns" across the world. This is an immersive experience powered by technology across all scenarios. The lantern festival breaks traditional viewing modes, focusing on "technological innovation + interactive experience" by incorporating AI interaction, smart touch controls, and light-sensing technology, allowing visitors to personally trigger changes in light, shadow, and sound effects. A cross-border alliance of virtual digital humans and scenes combining bionic robotic dinosaurs with AR technology transports visitors through time for an interactive journey. Technology seamlessly connects "viewing, playing, sensing, and reflecting," revitalizing millennia-old lantern traditions in the digital age. Additionally, the 300-meter-long "Salt Street Lantern Market" has been transformed into an exclusive themed Trip Moments street, featuring diverse photo spots such as ancient-style pavilions, cyber light installations, and folk culture markets. It also offers costume rentals and prop services to cater to various photography styles. The entire park features 360-degree immersive performances, with NPCs having unique scripted roles. The storyline unfolds naturally along the tour route through interactive dialogues and fun tasks, creating a deeply immersive experience where "every step reveals a new scene, and every scene tells a story." As countless lights illuminate the new year across this ancient land, it transforms into a flowing epic of light and shadow. This is not just a meeting of craftsmanship and technology, but a profound dialogue between timeless heritage and future aspirations. Let us look forward together to how this luminous feast will brilliantly renew the millennium-old tales through light and shadow, allowing the starry river of China to gently flow within each lantern.

The gleam of armor, the neighing of warhorses, and the tolling of castle bells, along with the honor and faith held steadfast in their hearts, formed the radiant spiritual totem that shone through the turbulent Middle Ages. Knights, a group born amidst the smoke of battle, wrote legends that transcended eras. …… The family crest engraved on the gilded armor tells tales of battlefield glory and duty through every intricate line; the sharp blades, exquisite horse gear, and solemn paintings silently recreate the knights' valiant years of charging into battle, competing in tournaments, and defending their faith. …… Knights, where reason and glory intertwined, clad in armor as their bodies and faith as their souls, forged their spiritual code with loyalty, bravery, temperance, and compassion, upholding ideals amidst power and strife. The rise, splendor, and fall of chivalry resonate with us through the long river of history. …… Key highlights of this exhibition 1. Treasures from the European royal armory come to China, with 140 knight artifacts on display in Chengdu In collaboration with the Musei Reali of Turin – home to one of Europe's most historic and well-preserved royal armories, showcasing nearly nine centuries of glory from the House of Savoy. This exhibition marks a significant display of knight artifacts from the Musei Reali in China, featuring precious collections including armor crafted by renowned masters such as Negroli and Helmschmied, the first edition of fencing master Achille Marozzo's treatise, ceremonial helmets of Italian kings Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, with many items leaving Europe for overseas exhibition for the first time. 2. Panoramic narrative: From battlefield glory to romantic imagination, understanding the millennium evolution of the knightly class. The exhibition breaks through single artifact displays, constructing a complete narrative through three major units: Path of glory: Witness a knight's journey from page to knighthood, explore the craftsmanship of Gothic and Milanese armor, and observe the evolution of combat weapons like knight swords, war hammers, lances, and horse armor up close.The changing times: Confronting the revival of infantry and the rise of firearms' impact on the knightly class, showcasing how Swiss pike squares and matchlock guns transformed the era of heavy armor.Romantic echoes: Step into the Renaissance-era armor workshop to admire the gilded etched steel breastplates of the House of Savoy, dolphin-mask helmets, and other "steel jewelry," while deciphering the power symbolism behind armor portraits.3. Year of the horse: A cross-cultural dialogue on warhorse traditions between East and West Coinciding with the 2026 Chinese Year of the Horse, the exhibition centers on the theme of "horse," showcasing a complete lineage from 5th-century BC bronze horse bits to 16th-century gilded warhorse armor. It explores the life-and-death alliance between medieval warhorses and knights, deeply presenting the millennium-spanning symbiotic relationship between European knights and their steeds, while revealing how equestrian civilization reshaped human history. 4. Immersive interaction to unlock knight identity Experience wearing knight armor firsthand and strike a heroic pose with a long sword or lance.Try pulling the sword from the stone in the exhibition hall - the chosen one might be youTry on chainmail gauntlets and uncover the mysteries of ancient military technology firsthandKnight flash mobs and fashion shows are held from time to time5. Eight star exhibits, witnessing the artistic mastery of steel forging Small round shield16th century, gilded etched steel. Originating from Italy's top workshop, the studio of master craftsman Pompeo della Cesa, this exquisite piece was a precious gift from Cavour, one of the "three heroes of Italian unification," to the King of Sardinia. The intricate etching paired with gilded decorations showcases the beauty of craftsmanship. BreastplateApprox. 1663, steel with gilt bronze relief decorations. The black and gold color scheme exudes regal elegance, with exquisite relief carvings depicting the valor and splendor of knights. Combining practical functionality with royal majesty, this piece stands as a exemplary masterpiece of Baroque-era armor craftsmanship. The battle of Mombaldone1837-1840, oil on canvas. Depicting the classic battles of the Savoy dynasty, this magnificent battlefield panorama features emotionally rich character ensembles and an epic clash of cold weapons and firearms, serving as both a historical memory and a mark of glory. Knight's sword 1624-1632, Damascus steel inlaid with gold and silver.Meticulously crafted by German master Daniel Sadler, this piece blends Persian steel blades with ornate European fittings, uniting two cultures in a symbol of chivalry. Helmet of the honor guard of Umberto I1875-1890, gilded aluminum. The official ceremonial helmet of the Italian king's royal guard, witnessing the turbulent history of the Kingdom of Italy, was crafted by renowned European artisan Augusto Castellani. The golden eagle spreading its wings atop the helmet embodies the king's majestic demeanor. VestApprox. 1550, relief-etched steel. The complete set of warhorse armor makes its debut, showcasing battlefield grandeur through exquisite steel craftsmanship, with intricate patterns narrating chivalric romance. It safeguards trusted comrades in arms while adding luster to the knight's honor. Knight armorApprox. 1550, full-body armor with relief etching. The full armor of Renaissance knights makes its debut, representing the pinnacle of European military equipment. This steel-clad masterpiece combines craftsmanship, technology, and aesthetics, embodying the final glory and pride of the knightly class. Portrait of King Louis XV1723-1725, oil on canvas. From common households to royal courts, knights were once the dream of every young boy, and grand portraits stand as witnesses to these youthful knightly aspirations.