The Yuyuan Garden Lantern Fair, one of the most popular Chinese New Year celebrations in Shanghai, officially began on Sunday.

The Yuyuan Garden Lantern Fair　is a key cultural highlight in Shanghai during the Spring Festival celebration. This year's theme is a sequel to the 2023 edition "Adventure of Mountains and Seas," which was inspired by the ancient literature "Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas)."

The 40-day event features a blend of traditional Chinese New Year flavors and the mysteries of the seas. Four main entrances and five major scenes at the fair present a surreal world where the zodiac dragon intermingles with marine flora and fauna.

This year, the Yuyuan Lantern Fair extends its reach globally, with simultaneous events in Shanghai and Paris, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations and the Sino-France Culture and Tourism Year.