Shanghai Lantern Festival 2027: Dates and Yuyuan Guide

The Lantern Festival closes the Chinese New Year season with a night of lights, riddles, and sweet rice balls. In Shanghai, the centerpiece is the Yuyuan Lantern Festival, set among the old town's lantern-lit lanes and historic buildings.

It is one of the most photogenic nights of the year, and one of the most crowded. This guide explains the 2027 date, what happens at Yuyuan, how tickets work, and how to enjoy the festival without spending the evening in a queue.

The short version

• Lantern Festival 2027 falls on Saturday, 20 February. It is the 15th day of the first lunar month.
• It is not a public holiday. Offices, banks, and many shops are open, but evening attractions and restaurants are busy.
• The Yuyuan Lantern Festival is the main event. Dates, ticket prices, and zones for 2027 will be announced separately.
• Book a timed ticket if you want the core Yuyuan display. Surrounding streets may be free but are extremely crowded.
• Go early or late. Late afternoon gives you daylight, sunset, and the lights in one visit.
• Use the metro. Roads around the old town are congested and subject to crowd control.
• Eat tangyuan, the sweet glutinous rice balls associated with the festival. They are served year-round, but the festival is when they matter most.
• Dress warmly. February evenings in Shanghai are cold and damp.

When is the Lantern Festival in 2027?

The festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the first full moon of the lunar year. In 2027, that is Saturday, 20 February.

Chinese New Year's Day is 6 February 2027, so the Lantern Festival comes exactly two weeks later and brings the Spring Festival period to a close. The date is fixed by the lunar calendar; it does not move to a Monday holiday like some public holidays.

Because it is not a statutory day off, the festival is celebrated in the evening. Expect restaurants to be busy and lantern venues to be at their peak after dark.

What the Lantern Festival celebrates

The festival has three classic customs:

Viewing lanterns

Lantern displays are the heart of the night. In Shanghai, streets, parks, temples, and shopping areas install illuminated figures, zodiac animals, flowers, fish, and scenes from mythology. The tradition is ancient; decorative lanterns are said to date back to the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties.

Solving lantern riddles

Riddles are written on paper and hung beneath lanterns. Visitors read them, guess the answer, and sometimes win small prizes. The custom became especially popular in the Song dynasty and remains part of the fun at temple fairs and community events.

Eating tangyuan

These are round glutinous rice balls, usually served in a warm sweet soup. Fillings can be sesame, red bean, peanut, rose, or jujube paste; some regions prefer savory fillings with pork, shrimp, or vegetables. The round shape symbolizes reunion, harmony, and family togetherness.

The name is also a pun: "tangyuan" sounds like "tuanyuan", meaning reunion. That is why the dish is associated with family gatherings, even when the festival is celebrated away from home.

The Yuyuan Lantern Festival

Yuyuan Garden Malls has run an official lantern festival since 1995, when a five-meter pig lantern marked the Year of the Pig. The event grew into one of Shanghai's signature Lunar New Year traditions and was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item in 2011.

The displays blend traditional lantern-making — frame painting, paper-cutting, and silk work — with modern lighting and projection. In recent years, the festival has expanded beyond the garden into surrounding streets, turning the old town into a larger light trail.

What the 2026 edition looked like

The 2026 festival opened on 26 January and ran through the Spring Festival period. It had six lantern zones:

• the ticketed Yuyuan Garden folk-art zone;
• free zones at BFC, Gucheng Park, Middle Fangbang Road, Fuyou Road, and the Bund.

Adult tickets were 80 yuan, with child tickets at 50 yuan. Only the core Yuyuan zone required a timed ticket. The festival was closed on Chinese New Year's Eve, 16 February 2026.

These details are a guide to what to expect, not a promise for 2027. Dates, prices, zones, and closure days can change. Check the official Yuyuan channels before buying.

The 2027 edition

The 2027 lantern festival will be themed around the Year of the Goat, but the exact dates and ticket details had not been announced at the time of writing. Watch the Yuyuan Garden Malls WeChat account and the official Shanghai tourism channels. Avoid buying from scalpers or unofficial resellers.

How to visit Yuyuan without the worst crowds

• Choose a weekday. Weekends and the Lantern Festival itself are the busiest nights.
• Arrive in the late afternoon. You get the old town in daylight, the sunset, and the lights after dark without standing in the peak queue twice.
• Book the timed entry in advance. The core zone is ticketed, and popular slots sell out.
• Use the metro. Yuyuan Garden station is served by Metro Lines 10 and 14. Nearby East Nanjing Road station (Lines 2 and 10) is another option.
• Do not drive. Traffic controls and road closures are common around the old town during the festival.
• Keep moving on narrow lanes. The bridges and main squares become bottlenecks. Follow police and stewards.
• Avoid strollers and large luggage if you can. The lanes are uneven and crowded.

If you are claustrophobic or dislike dense crowds, consider seeing the free street displays on a different night rather than the core zone on the festival weekend.

Where else to see lanterns

Yuyuan is the headline, but it is not the only option.

• City God Temple area: part of the Yuyuan bazaar complex, busy throughout the festival. The bazaar is free to enter and open 24/7, though individual shops keep their own hours.
• Local parks: community lantern displays and riddle contests are often held in district parks. Check district government accounts for listings.
• Temples: some temples hold evening lantern events. Confirm opening hours and whether tickets are required.
• Shopping malls: major malls often install lantern decorations and small displays, usually free.
• The Bund: the skyline is lit every night, and the waterfront is a good place for a walk before or after the old town.

Do not assume a specific temple fair or park event is running in 2027. Community events are announced late and vary by district.

What to eat

Tangyuan are the essential food. In Shanghai, you will find them at:

• Local dessert shops, often served in a sweet osmanthus or ginger syrup.
• Supermarkets and food halls, sold frozen or chilled for cooking at home.
• Restaurants, especially around the old town and major food streets.
• Temple and community fairs, where they are served hot in small bowls.

Sweet sesame and red bean are the most common fillings. Savory versions with pork or shrimp exist, but they are less common in Shanghai than in some other regions. If you have a sesame or peanut allergy, ask before ordering; fillings are not always listed in English.

Other festival foods include yuanxiao (a similar rice ball, often rolled rather than stuffed), rice cakes, and seasonal pastries. Wash it down with tea, not cold drinks; February evenings are chilly.

Lantern riddles: how to join in

Many displays hang riddles on paper strips. The format varies:

• Some are free to guess; you take a strip to a volunteer and answer.
• Some require a small purchase or a queue.
• Some are in Chinese only; translation apps can help, but puns rarely translate well.

You do not need to solve anything to enjoy the atmosphere. Watching families debate a riddle is part of the experience.

Photography tips

• Bring a fast lens or use night mode. The lanes are dim outside the main displays.
• Avoid flash in crowded areas; it disturbs other visitors and rarely improves the shot.
• Shoot early. The sky still has color, and the crowds are thinner.
• Use reflections. Wet pavement and canal water double the lights.
• Ask before photographing people, especially performers and worshippers.
• Do not block walkways with tripods. Some areas prohibit them.

The classic shot is the Huxinting Teahouse and Jiuqu Bridge framed by lanterns. It is also the most crowded spot; arrive before dusk or shoot from a side lane.

Practical tips

• Check the weather. Rain makes the lanes slippery and reflections beautiful; bring an umbrella and wear shoes with grip.
• Carry tissues. Public toilets may not supply them.
• Bring a power bank. Cold weather drains phone batteries.
• Keep your passport if you are picking up tickets or claiming tax refunds.
• Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay, and carry a small amount of cash as backup.
• Book dinner ahead. Restaurants around Yuyuan fill up before the lights come on.
• Leave before the final rush. The metro is busiest when the displays close.

The bottom line

The Lantern Festival 2027 falls on 20 February, and Yuyuan is the best place in Shanghai to experience it. Expect a ticketed core zone, free surrounding displays, huge crowds, and a cold but magical evening. Book ahead, use the metro, arrive before dark, and eat tangyuan. Check the official Yuyuan channels for 2027 dates and prices before you travel.

Event dates, tickets, and crowd-control measures change. Confirm with the official sources below before you rely on them.