INLIGHT: Bringing a Thousand-Year Lantern Heritage to the World

Aug. 22, 2026 - Zigong, China - For more than 1,000 years, lantern making has been part of the cultural identity of Zigong, Sichuan Province, a city widely known in China as the "City of Lanterns [https://inlightfest.com/about/]." Today, this traditional art form is reaching audiences far beyond its place of origin.

Over the course of its development, Zigong Lantern Culture Industry Group, the creator ofthe INLIGHT brand, has delivered more than 100 festivals and exhibitions across over 200 cities and regions, reaching a cumulative audience of more than 200 million. These projects have transformed a centuries-old craft into large-scale cultural experiences that combine traditional craftsmanship, local storytelling, international IP, and emerging technologies.

Zigong has long been associated with the saying, "Once you've seen Zigong lanterns, nothing else compares." In Zigong, lantern-making is more than a craft - it is a way of life. With tens of thousands of people dedicated to the industry, the city's lanterns account for over 90% of the global Chinese lantern market.

Yet before 2016, the idea of building such a large and integrated lantern industry would have been unimaginable. At that time, Zigong's lantern industry was largely fragmented. Family-run workshops operated independently, orders were scattered, and everyone focused only on making their own lanterns. Few had considered bringing these talents together,uniting their strength, and turninga centuries-old tradition into a thriving modern industry.

The turning point came with Huang Dechun, a lantern craftsman with 33 years of experience. He taught in the Department of Fine Arts at Zigong Teachers College (now Sichuan University of Science & Engineering) and later founded the Zigong School of Fine Arts. Years of experience in making lanterns and arteducation gave him a deep understanding of the limitations of the craft-and the vision to transform it into a modern industry.

"For Zigong's artists and lantern makers, technical challenges could be overcome through their own expertise. The real challenge was bringing Zigong lanterns onto the global stage," Huang recalled at an industry summit. "International IP licensing came with exceptionally strict, even demanding requirements. The process helped us further refine two defining techniques of Zigong lantern making: wire-frame shaping and precise application of color-separated fabrics onto the structures."

In 2005, Huang and his team secured an official Disney IP license to create three-dimensional lantern installations. The festival opened in Fengyuan, Taiwan, and in just 15 days, attendance exceeded the city's population, turning the event into a cultural phenomenon.

In July 2016, with support from across the sector, Zigong Lantern Culture Industry Group Co., Ltd. was formally established. One idea captured its founding purpose: instead of setting sail alone, build a larger ship together.

That same year, the new organization received its first major international recognition.

IAAPA Expo is one of the global attractions industry's leading events. In 2016, Gilroy Gardens' Lumination created by Lantern Group competed alongside projects from global giants such as Disney and Universal Studios, and won theIAAPA Brass Ring Award [https://inlightfest.com/awards/]. It was the Group's first international award and a landmark moment for a Chinese lantern company on the global attractions stage.

The award brought industry recognition. For the 2017 G20 Hamburg Summit in Germany, the Group was commissioned to deliver a Chinese lantern exhibition. In two months, 60 artisans took the project from design to installation, completing 23 large-scale lantern installations and 500 red lanterns. Among them, a lantern installation measuring 18 meters in diameter drew inspiration from blue-and-white porcelain and incorporated a German-language voice interaction system, allowing visitors to engage directly with the artwork.

At the 2019 Lantern Culture Summit, Huang delivered a speech entitled "Preservation and Creation." He returned to one idea in particular: lantern art is rooted in Chinese culture, but as people around the world come to understand and appreciate it, they also want to see the craft express their own local cultures.

The aim is not simply to transport Chinese lanterns abroad. It is to use the techniques of Zigong lantern making to interpret what matters locally-from landmarks such as the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and the Colosseum to regional legends, wildlife, mythology, and contemporary cultural themes.

Since entering Franch market in 2017, the Group has brought its festivals to citiesincluding Gaillac, Blagnac, Montauban, Amneville, Metz, and Lyon. By 2023, it had staged 20 lantern festivals in France, welcoming more than five million visitors and generating media reach in the hundreds of millions. In 2023, Huang was named an honorary citizen of Gaillac, France.

The Group's partnership with Longleat in the United Kingdom has spanned for a decade. Attendance grew from 140,000 at the inaugural festival in 2014 to over 300,000 in 2018. That year, the Festival of Light, produced by the Group, was named Best Christmas Experience at the Group Leisure & Travel Awards.

Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2026/08/838577e5f022c83a7bc90fbea20363ea.jpg

While preserving traditional craftsmanship, the Group has steadily integrated new technologies into lantern making and presentation. In 2023, the Group incorporated AI applications, holographic projection, and laser water-screen projection technologies into its projects at Dublin Zoo [https://inlightfest.com/recent-projects/dublin-zoo-wild-lights-2023/], Beekse Bergen Safari Park in the Netherlands, Nashville Zoo in Tennessee,for the first time, blending physical lantern installations with digital imagery.

For the Group, globalization does not mean leaving tradition behind. It means using new technologies to expand the possibilities of traditional craftsmanship while preserving the techniques and cultural heritage that define Zigong lantern art.

In 2025, the Group began a coordinated rollout of four internationally registered brands, with INLIGHT positioned as its flagship international brand.

The Group's portfolio now spans six areas: customized themed light festivals and carnivals, licensed IP collaborations, interactive technology, illuminated landscape installations, intelligent animatronics, and professional talent development.

The name INLIGHT reflects this philosophy. "IN" represents the roots, expertise, and capabilities cultivated within, while "LIGHT" represents what the brand shares with the world.

The Group's innovation portfolio includes copyrights, design patents, invention patents, and software copyrights. Its long-term talent development is supported by the Lantern Academy [https://inlightfest.com/lantern-academy/].

The academy was established as China's first higher-education platform dedicated specifically to lantern art and remains one of the few institutions worldwide focused on training professionals for the field.

At the Chinese Lantern Festival at Ontario Place in Canada, visitor satisfaction reached 96 percent. The Group's Symphony of China installation was recognized as the world's largest lantern display shaped like a set of Chinese chime bells.

Rooted in Zigong and reaching out to the world, INLIGHT is bringing this centuries-old tradition into a new era.

Its global journey has only just begun.

About INLIGHT

INLIGHT is a global creator of themed light festivals and illuminated installations, rooted in Zigong's thousand-year-old lantern art. Specializing in customized lantern events, licensed IP collaborations, and immersive light experiences, it brings Chinese craftsmanship to zoos, theme parks, and cities around the world.

WhatsApp: Nancy Xiang, +86 13890007627
Media Contact
Company Name: INLIGHT
Contact Person: Nancy Xiang
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Country: China
Website: https://inlightfest.com/

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