A Look Around The Magical Lantern Festival At Chiswick House Gardens

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By M@ Last edited 97 months ago
A Look Around The Magical Lantern Festival At Chiswick House Gardens

To celebrate the Chinese New Year — the Year of the Monkey, no less — Chiswick House Gardens have been transformed into a blaze of light and colour. And we mean transformed. The stately acres look utterly alien, with dozens of illuminated sculptures forming the Magical Lantern Festival.

Take a night-time ramble around the grounds and you'll be treated to the sights below, and many more besides. We must confess to gazing in slack-jawed wonder at the scale of the show. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes as you'll be covering plenty of ground (including, perhaps, a 20 minute walk to Turnham Green station..."you burn off as many calories as there are in a bowl of noodles," reckon the organisers).

Magic Lantern Festival is the best family ticket in town at the moment — an unforgettable nocturnal adventure for kids and adults alike.

A lambent squirrel guards a cache of mushrooms.
The lake contains some of the more impressive baubles. These floating finials are the size of sheds.
A Chinese dragon forms a centrepiece.
A pair of giant swans.
Lambent pandas and golden giraffes.
A strong Chinese theme pervades. Here's the emperor and his terracotta army.
The central pagoda peeks over the foliage.

Magical Lantern Festival is at Chiswick House Gardens Tuesdays till Sundays until 6 March 2016. Tickets are £16/£10 in advance, with family deals available.

Last Updated 06 February 2016