Check out this New Year lantern festival in Suzhou!

"The Great Wall is majestic in the north, while Panmen is beautiful in the south." Suzhou's Panmen Gate was one of the eight gates of the ancient city of Wu, and is the most complete ancient water and land gate in China. The Panmen Lantern Festival has a long history, dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, the imperial court set up a naval base near Panmen Gate, and every Lantern Festival, the naval officers and soldiers would hold a lantern festival at Panmen Gate to pray for a successful expedition. In recent years, the Panmen Lantern Festival has become an important cultural event in Suzhou during certain festivals. This year's Panmen New Year Lantern Festival was recently lit, with the theme of "Fish Leaping and Lion Dancing: Panmen's Dream of the Lantern Festival," and features several creative check-in points such as "Red Wall and Happy Drums," "Dragon Gate and Good Fortune," "Lantern Corridor," and "Lantern Festival Dream." In addition, there are five wonderful cultural performances every night at 6:00 pm at Ruiguang Pagoda, Wengcheng, Shuilian Cave Pavilion, Lake Center, and Water Stage. Visitors can enjoy the colorful lanterns, gardens, performances, and markets, and experience the lively atmosphere of the New Year and the Lantern Festival. The entire lantern festival runs from December 21, 2024, to February 12, 2025. If you like lanterns and gardens, don't miss it! Lantern Viewing Tips: Location: No. 49 Dongdajie, Gusu District, Suzhou Transportation: Take Metro Line 4 to Nanmen Station (Exit 7), and walk 1.2 km; take Bus 308 to Nanmen Station, and walk 893 m; take Bus 51 to Xinshiqiao South Station, and walk 1.2 km; take You 5 North Line to Panmen Scenic Area North Station, and walk 691 m. Opening hours: 8:30 am–9:00 pm Ticket price: Daytime, adults CNY 40; minors aged 6 (exclusive) to 18 (inclusive), seniors aged 60 (inclusive) to 69 (inclusive), and full-time university students and below pay half price; children aged 6 (inclusive) and below, seniors aged 70 (inclusive) and above, people with disabilities, and military personnel (including veterans) are free. Nighttime, CNY 50 for all ages.