Hu Jinlong perfects some details on a Xiashi Lantern. [Photo provided by Hu Jinlong for Tide News]

The Xiashi Lantern Fair in Haining, a county-level city in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, is a cultural event that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and flourished during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

This year's event features stunning works by Hu Jinlong and his team. A nationally recognized inheritor of the craft of making Xiashi Lanterns, Hu is a renowned craftsman with over 40 years of experience in mastering the traditional eight techniques of lantern-making, including stitching, bending, tying, and painting.

This year, Hu and his team created a 14-meter-long dragon lantern and a lion lantern, which became the centerpiece of the fair. The former is composed of 12 sections and carries 30 traditional palace lanterns along its body.

Hu said that both the dragon and the lion have long been symbols of celebration in Chinese culture. The dragon represents strength, vitality, and good fortune, while the lion is a symbol of protection and family wellbeing. These symbols are deeply embedded in Chinese traditions and are key to the festive spirit that is intrinsically tied to the lanterns.