The Rogers Chinese Lantern Festival in it's final week at Ontario Place

Illuminated Chinese Dragon Boat @ Ontario Place (Photo by JEF)

Toronto, September 30, 2007 - The Rogers Chinese Lantern Festival will come to a close as Summer winds down. Patrons only have one more week to view the spectacular exhibition featured at Ontario Place.

The festival showcases three influential dynasties in Chinese history (the Qin Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty), the East-West exchange of the Silk Road, and many other aspects of Chinese culture. The magnificent depictions of Chinese Culture were put together by more than 60 Master Craftsmen from the China Colour Lantern Museum of Zigong, China. In only it's second year, the festival has added 10 more grand-scale lantern installations; for a total of more than 40 massive illuminated scenes, depicting Chinese landmarks and mythology.

Nightly entertainment at the festival include China-themed IMAX® movies at the Cinesphere, a Chinese tea house, food market with cooking demontrations, a craft market and the Toronto Star Stage (featuring martial arts, lion dances, acrobats and more).

History
The Lantern Festival in China falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. On the night of the first full moon, cities and villages are illuminated by beautifully decorated and intricately crafted lanterns hung from houses, shops and temples and carried by children as they walk along the streets. Today, streets on which the Lantern Festival is held are not only lit by the traditional lanterns, but also by brilliantly crafted floats and highly complex light shows. The lanterns are traditionally made of paper or silk and are painted all sorts of designs or famous scenes from Chinese history.

Schedule:
Oct. 4-5, 2007, 6pm - 10pm
Oct. 6-7, 2007, 5pm - 10pm

Admission:
General (13-64) $25
Child (4-12) $20
Senior (65+) $20
Children under 4 years FREE

For more info visit: http://www.chineselanternfestival.ca/