A Dragon Lantern fair was held in Yuanmingyuan in northern Beijing on the Mid-Autumn Day, September 25, 2007. The lantern fair will last till October 20. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

An ongoing and magnificent lantern show at Yuanmingyuan, otherwise known as the Old Summer Palace, in Beijing attracted numerous visitors on Tuesday night---the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

The large-scale lantern show was this year themed around the Olympics, traditional Chinese culture as well as the grand splendour of Yuanmingyuan Park. It was divided into various lantern groups, such as the Countdown to the 2008 Olympics, National Aquatic Centre-Water Cube, Chinese Chime Bell, Dragon Dance Lamp and more.

Twenty-one giant, colourful lanterns and thousands of smaller lanterns, in various shapes, were strung up everywhere around the ancient park. They created an extremely festive and cheerful environment for locals visiting the park on such a special full moon night.

During the night time spectacle, large crowds gathered to appreciate the moon and decorative lanterns with either family members or friends.

This autumn lantern festival will run from September 20 to October 20.