Located in Southeast China's Fujian Province, the port city of Quanzhou is known for its early involvement in the country's foreign trade. This week, the city will launch its third annual Culture Festival, which will feature thousands of ingeniously－designed lanterns.

This year, the Quanzhou Culture Festival is to be held around the traditional Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. With this holiday, which marks the end of the Spring Festival, just around the corner, the major streets in downtown Quanzhou are decorated with hundreds of original lanterns.

Besides traditional themes, many lanterns depict contemporary life in the port city. The city's 1,000 year involvement in international trade is the dominant subject matter of the lantern pictures.

All the lanterns on display were designed and created by local folk artists. Quanzhou lanterns are known for their attention to detail in design.
 
(CCTV.com February 5, 2004)