Qinhuai Lantern Festival

Background

The Qinhuai lantern festival has a long history: during the Six Dynasties, noble households along the Qinhuai River were already hanging lanterns. The Confucius Temple was built in 1034, the first year of the Northern Song Jingyou reign, and today the temple area is the heart of the festival. After the Hongwu Emperor made Nanjing his capital in the early Ming, the Lantern Festival was extended to ten nights, and the bustle of the Qing-dynasty lantern market is described in Dream of the Red Chamber. Today the festival centres on the Confucius Temple–Qinhuai Scenic Belt, with main venues in the Confucius Temple area, Laomendong and Bailuzhou Park. You can see lantern installations on the water, take a night ride on a painted boat along the Qinhuai, and try snacks such as duck blood vermicelli soup and sweet osmanthus taro along the way. The 40th edition in 2026 had about 390 lantern installations, 8 exhibition areas and more than 200 cultural events.

Local customs

• See the lantern installations on the water
• take a night ride on a painted boat along the Qinhuai River
• watch the lantern reflections around Wende Bridge and the Pan Pool
• try snacks such as duck blood vermicelli soup and sweet osmanthus taro

Travel tips

• The festival is held around the Lunar New Year, with the schedule announced each year
• in past years the main period ran from about the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month to the 18th day of the first lunar month, with some exhibition areas staying open longer. The Confucius Temple area is reachable by metro
• evenings during the holiday are very crowded and entry may be restricted, so you may want to avoid peak times. Tickets and transport arrangements are subject to official announcements.

2027 schedule

• The 2027 Spring Festival falls on February 6
• based on past practice the main period would run from about January 30 (12th lunar month, day 23) to February 23 (1st lunar month, day 18), with exact dates pending official announcement.