Chinese Lantern Festival

Overview

The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square returns to Philadelphia’s Historic District in 2019 with all-new, handcrafted lanterns that illuminate when the sun sets. It’s truly a sight to see.

From May 1 through July 14, 2019, the park glows with newly made lanterns handcrafted by artisans from China using traditional Chinese methods.

Lantern designs in previous years have included sea creatures, lions, pandas and mythological creatures.

The History

The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival is a celebration of light and culture that features artisans from China and the Philadelphia region.

The popular festival welcomed more than 90,000 people from all 50 states and 10 countries to Philly and Franklin Square when it debuted in 2016 for the first time.

In 2018, more than 130,000 people from all 50 states and 20 countries experienced the festival.