The Yu Garden Lantern Festival has become a yearly fixture in Shanghai's Chinese New Year calendar. It returns every winter, draws the same crowds, and somehow still manages to pull people back again. In 2026, the festival leans into the Year of the Horse, filling Yuyuan with glowing lanterns, oversized installations, and enough visual spectacle to justify braving the crowds.
Running from January 26 to March 3 (closed on Chinese New Year's Eve), this year's festival takes over the usual Yu Garden circuit with glowing horse lanterns, oversized installations, and enough light reflections to keep your phone camera working overtime. Lights switch on around 5pm, with entry starting earlier on weekends and during the holiday period.
Highlights this year lean heavily into horse imagery. Ninghui Lu turns into a glowing tunnel of small horse lanterns. The big finale is at Nine-Turn Bridge, where mythical beasts inspired byThe Classic of Mountains and Seas line the water.
Tickets are 80rmb for adults, 50rmb for children and seniors, with optional lantern bundles if you want to commit fully to the experience. Tickets can also be purchased via the WeChat mini program "Yuyuan Piaowu (豫园票务)". Entry points are at Gates 2, 3, and 5, and the whole thing is an easy walk from Yuyuan Metro Station (Lines 10 and 14).
Yes, it's crowded. Yes, you'll probably stop walking every three steps. But when the lanterns light up, it's hard to argue with the appeal. Some traditions stick around for a reason, and the Yu Garden Lantern Festival is clearly one of them.
