Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Two blog posts in 24hrs!!! Get in! So far this is like all good new year’s resolutions: starts great…then… well, lets see how often you all are going to the gym in a few weeks, shall we? Anyway… back to the matter at hand. Lantern festival! It’s a festival that takes place 15 days after Chinese New Year and… well, I’m sure Wikipedia can tell you the boring stuff. These days people just set off LOADS of fireworks. It’s like bonfire night (if you’re in the UK) or the 4th of July (if you’re in the states) combined with new years. After a few hours of Lantern Festival, you have a good idea what it must have been like in Baghdad, circa 2003…

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Coming back to Weinan from spending Spring Festival in An’Kang, I found there was a photo exhibition in one of the squares.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Oh, look! Four of my photos! The photo club I’m in had printed out some of my photos for me, and put them on display as the first photos you can across when entering the square. Much appreciated!

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
People were especially fascinated by my “Weinan world” photo. It’s a photo of the city square, warped to look like a planet. I heard people talking about how I did it. The leading theory was I used a helicopter! I wish!

Weinan Planet
Here’s the original for those who haven’t seen it.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Left: Lucy – the girl in the photo, posing next to her photo! 🙂 Middle: The crowds examining the photos. Right: Ran into my God-daughter; Flora. Looking very warm in that suit!

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
So, in the day – Lantern Festival is a pretty normal day. But, at night. It’s fireworks time, baby!

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Chinese people have 0 fear of fireworks. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. I guess they did invent gunpowder. You see kids of all ages throwing fireworks at each other too. Not actually seen any injuries… yet.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
The little dots in the sky? Not fireworks. Not fireflies. Chinese wishing lanterns. Lots of ’em!

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
The people selling wishing lanterns made hella money that day.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Beryl really starting to get into photography. She handles the Canon 400D, I’m on the 5D2.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Again, regarding the disregard of firework safety; here a woman lets off fireworks, handheld, in the middle of the packed square.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Left: Beryl’s food. Middle: Some other food. I never eat this, but it’s super spicy. As you walk past, it’s like being pepper sprayed. Right: I told you the square was packed.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
This guy wasn’t pointing at superman…

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
He was pointing out what happens when two wishing lanterns “kiss.”

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Some street decoration.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
🙂

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
This is the newly opened ‘Xin Da Walking Street’ – home of the new Aston.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
What are they looking at?

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
MOAR FIREWORKS!!!

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Me taking some pictures. With beer. Of course.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Ammo store.

Lantern Festival 2011 - Weinan, Shaanxi, China
Lastly, an “arty” photo taken by Beryl. This was her desktop wallpaper for a while. What is it? Dunno! 🙂 That’s why it’s “art” 😉

Just a few weeks until this year’s lantern festival. (That’s how far behind my blog is!) I’m looking forward to it 😀

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