Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Chinese Lantern Festival October 2012

DISCLAIMER:  Please prepare for a photo dump of epic proportion.  However, there are no persons present in said photo dump....it is ALL about the lanterns.  There was a bit of a download snafu and all the original pics were lost, but things happen and life moves on.  Luckily, Megan knows people that know people and she not only got back to the fair, but she was able to land free tickets to the exhibit and photographed the whole thing all over again so that I could blog and or scrapbook it all.  Thank you, Megan for all of the wonderful pictures.  Hopefully someday I will have a big girl camera and I can do this myself.  And yes, I am aware that this post is seriously past due - better late than never.

The Chinese Lantern Festival debuted at the State Fair of Texas this year.  I am not a HUGE fan of the fair, but do enjoy walking around for an afternoon taking in the sites, a ride or two and some crazy fried food.  In Texas, it is kind of a rite of passage....seriously.  Megan and I decided that we were going to spend a  girl's afternoon at the fair this year and in browsing around the fair website, I came across information on the CLF....I was intrigued and hoped that Megan would be interested in seeing the exhibit as well.  She was on board and even though it is an additional fee, I couldn't wait (and it was TOTALLY worth it)! 
 
 

Here is a little information on the festival from the official site.

The artful pieces that make up the Chinese Lantern Festival are a collection of lanterns made of silky cloth, glass, and porcelain. Among the exhibition's 22 lantern sets are giant pandas, lotus flowers, and a porcelain dragon stretching 330 feet, made from 15,000 bowls, spoons, and wine cups...all tied together by hand.

When the sun goes down, the lanterns come to life, lighting the Texas night like never before, as the art illuminates, moves, and takes on an other-worldly life of its own.

Construction of this exceptional exhibit originated in China, where a team of more than 100 artisans and technical staff did preliminary work in Sichuan, the cradle of Chinese lantern-making. Small completed pieces and raw materials were shipped by sea to the U.S., then to Dallas, where a team of more than 40 arrived from China to construct the majority of the exhibits on-site. Working long days in 100-plus degree heat, they succeeded in creating a showcase of the world's foremost lantern-makers.

Come see the fruits of their labor, a place where giant pandas frolic near a herd of longhorn cattle; where dinosaurs rear their heads, blink, and growl. See the Fair Park lagoon transformed into a carpet of blossoming lotus flowers, a kaleidoscope of butterflies, and a mermaid guarding a precious pearl in her underwater garden. In a word, welcome to an enchanted place.

I am officially going to put a sock in it and let the pictures speak for themselves.  Grab a glass of wine or a mug of cocoa....this could take awhile!






This impressive guy spanned 330 feet and was made entirely of porcelaon plates, spoons and glasses


I was in awe of these...they were created with tiny medicine bottles...see detail below

 


The giant lotus flower opened and closed




The longhorns wer a nod to TX - the host state of the exhibit




Pretty spectacular, isn't it?  The exhibit has reopened since the fair closed and will remain open through January 6, 2013.  If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking it out.  Again, thank you Megan for capturing these beautiful photos...in this case, my camera phone may not have cut it.

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8 comments:

  1. These pictures are beautiful! I'm jealous...

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  2. Love the photos!
    And so glad you shared.
    There was a big Chinese Lantern Festival here at the Botanical Gardens all summer. And we really wanted to go, but just could never get a time together with my husband traveling so much.
    And it was packed every night apparently. Like jammed.
    By the time we actually got a date that would work for everyone, it was sold out for the remaining days!

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  3. Oh those are stunning-I wish something like that would come to Cincinnati. I'd definitely go! I love the peach orchard, something so pretty about it's simple beauty.

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  4. Wow - those are some great pictures! I've heard awesome feedback about the event but I've never been. I guess I should look into that!

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  5. What a cool exhibit! I can only imagine what it is like in person. I'm sure camera phone pics would have been awesome ;)

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  6. Wow! This is beautiful! I'd love to see (and photograph!) it! I'm sorry your camera lost all of your pictures, but it was awesome that Megan was able to get you some more!

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  7. WOWEEE! Karen that is simply breathtaking! I've never seen such 'lanterns' reminds me of my first ever trip to see the 'butter sculptures' in the city one year...I thought it would be like the little lambs they do up at Easter and stuff, boy was I blown away.
    These are SO elaborate and the Lotus flowers opening and closing!! Amazing...
    xo
    *anna
    oceannah.wordpress.com

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  8. Wow girl! You got some great shots!!! This looked like a really cool night!

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