[Video/WeChat account: shanghaifabu]

The annual Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival kicked off Wednesday in Shanghai, featuring diverse collections of lanterns to mark the upcoming Year of the Snake and a special exhibition in celebration of the festival's 30th anniversary.

Opening on New Year's Day, the 42-day event at Yuyuan Garden, a major downtown tourism destination, will run until Feb 12. With the zodiac sign theme of the snake in the center, the lantern installations are also decorated with various natural elements such as forest insects, butterflies and flowers, as well as elves and mythical animals, presenting a lively and harmonious scene.