The current 40-day show, which began Friday, is displaying 98 different lantern groups and 2,000 small lanterns featuring the ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian cultures, as well as historical events, totems, religions, fairy tales, folk art and customs from more than 30 countries around the world.

To attract more visitors, organizers have also arranged an ice lantern show which opened simultaneously with the traditional lantern show. The ice show, which is common in north and northeast China, consists of more than 20 types of ice lanterns.

The lantern show is a traditional Chinese folk activity held to celebrate the Spring Festival and other important festivals.

The Zigong lantern show which dates back nearly 1,000 years, is widely known both in and outside China. It has been exhibited in more than 60 Chinese cities and many foreign countries including Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, attracting a total of 60 million visitors.

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2003)