The first time the festival has been in London and close-by in Chiswick, so I made the effort to go last Thursday after work.  The ticket said the walk around the park displaying the lanterns would take 70 minutes but I made it in 35 minutes.  It was a bit too cold to linger but as you can see from the pictures, I stood still long enough.

I confess that I was a little disappointed with the display.  It was pure entertainment, which I suspect was aimed at a much younger demographic.  I was hoping for something that connected the traditions of lanterns into Chinese culture.

These sunflowers made me smile.


I puzzled about the significance of the giraffe (there were zebras and wildebeest too)

There were lots of crocus and hibiscus

and of course soldiers, horses and a dragon