"So many people are jostling each other on the bridge and I can hardly move a step further," says Wu Ying, a middle-aged tourist from Hangzhou, capital city of neighboring Zhejiang Province. "But I like the atmosphere. What a bustling world with noise and excitement!
"This is really how the Chinese New Year should be."
The legendary dragons, phoenix, fairy ladies and auspicious clouds are all presented vividly.
This year for the first time, the lanterns are illuminated with small fluorescent lights and light-emitting diodes to conserve energy.
"It's a new practice," says Shen. The lantern and decorate materials are also fireproof - otherwise, a fire would be devastating.
Another old custom for Lantern Festival is guessing lantern riddles.
In old days people would write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on lanterns.
Someone who had an answer would remove the riddle paper and take it to the lantern's owner. If the answer was right, the guesser would receive a small gift. The practice began in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
"Riddle guessing here is impossible," says designer Shen. "Maybe some riddles will be written on the lanterns, but there is no one on site to verify the correct answers."
But another important tradition can still be observed at Yuyuan Garden: eating rice balls, yuanxiao or tangyuan, meaning reunion. Made with glutinous rice, they are usually filled with something sweet, such as rose petals, sesame, red bean paste, ground walnuts or dried fruit.
Several small famous restaurants in Yuyuan Garden sell tasty rice ball dumplings. They are always crowded, especially the eateries beside the lake, so there's nothing to do but wait.
"You can't miss the Lantern Show at Yuyuan Garden," Shen laughs. "No exaggeration - there's no other place offering such a glamorous visual feast and delicious food."
And after the festival, what of the fabulous lanterns?
"Most of them will be destroyed because they are too big to be restored," says Shen.
"It's a great pity."
(
Shanghai Daily February 6, 2009)
