Wuhan's Largest Spring Lantern Show is About to Kick Off!

The 10th Wuhan Garden Expo Lantern Show will be held from January 28 to March 22, 2026, spanning 54 days and covering four major festivals: Little New Year, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and Longtaitou Festival.

Themed "Galloping Horses Celebrate Spring · Thousand Lights Illuminate the River City," this year's lantern show aims to create Wuhan's largest, most diverse, and longest lantern display route, offering citizens a cultural and trendy tourism feast.

As a new year cultural symbol that has accompanied Wuhan residents for nine years, the Wuhan Garden Expo Lantern Show has been featured by CCTV and has become a shining cultural tourism card of Wuhan. This year's lantern display is located in the southern part of the park along the Chu River, covering Zhongle Garden and several nearby themed gardens. Three themed tour routes are planned: the main loop, the boutique garden route, and the night performance route, with a total length of about 3.2 kilometers. Nearly 70 themed lantern groups are set up to create an immersive experience of "one scene at every step, one story at every light."

The lantern show takes the Yangtze River culture as its main line and features five thematic sections, integrating diverse cultural elements: "Carriages and Horses Filled with Fragrance" recreates classic Jiangnan scenes with elegant charm; "Galloping Horses and Thousand Armies Recognize Heroes" revives the historical turbulence of the Three Kingdoms; "Sky Horses Soar into the Cyber Universe" incorporates cyberpunk style to create futuristic light and shadow scenes; "Carriages and Horses Bring Prosperity" showcases the city's vibrant vitality and becomes a popular spot for citizens to take photos. The lantern groups also cleverly incorporate scenes from classic masterpieces such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Journey to the West," featuring various "horse" elements such as mythical sky horses and cyber mechanical horses, aligning with the Year of the Horse theme.

It is worth mentioning that this year's lantern show offers "day and night tours." During the day, visitors can enjoy the blooming plum blossoms in the Garden Expo, and take photos in Hanfu under the plum trees. At night, the colorful lights shine brightly, and the night performance route features light and shadow performances and interactive installations. In terms of supporting services, Hankouli has added several dining brands such as Luckin Coffee, Cai Linji Hot Dry Noodles, and Jixiang Wonton, providing visitors with diverse food choices.

It is reported that the lantern show lights up at 6:00 PM daily, stops admitting visitors at 9:00 PM, and closes at 10:00 PM. Only the East Gate and South Gate 1 are open at night. The Garden Expo ticket is priced at 60 yuan, with free admission for seniors aged 65 and above, active-duty military personnel, etc. Specific admission policies can be checked in advance through the official announcement.