Thinking of heading out to see the Chinese-New-Year lights and lanterns at Confucius Temple or Laomendong? Advance reservations are now necessary, as authorities attempt to keep both numbers and COVID at bay.
想去夫子庙或老门洞看新年灯笼吗？现在需要提前预订，因为当局试图控制人数和新冠疫情。
It’s been a crazy time of year since time immortal, as crowds make their pilgrimage to witness the Qinhuai Lantern Festival at Confucius Temple in Nanjing with the coming of the full moon that occurs 2 weeks after Chinese New Year.
自古以来，这是一年中最疯狂的时刻，随着农历新年两周后满月的到来，人们纷纷前往南京夫子庙朝圣，见证秦淮灯节。
In the tradition that everyone should experience, if only the once, the throng is carried along, armpit to armpit, trapped in what locals call, “People Mountain, People Sea”.
按照每个人都应该经历的传统，哪怕只有一次，人群被腋下夹着，困在当地人所说的“人山人海”中。
In more recent years, the Laomendong Neighbourhood has joined the party, with its own display of lights and, for the Year of the Rabbit, a brightly-illuminated bunny almost as high as the Nanjing City Wall in front of which it sits.
近年来，老门东社区也加入了这个行列，他们自己也举办了灯光秀，在兔年，一只灯火通明的兔子几乎与它所在的南京城墙一样高。
But the numbers of visitors expected to both Laomendong and Fuzimiao for Lantern Festival has authorities concerned. As a result, online reservations are now required for this, the peak time of the year for both attractions.
但预计元宵节老门洞和夫子庙的游客数量引起了当局的担忧。因此，现在这两个景点都是一年中的高峰期，需要在线预订。
The required e-ticket can be sourced via the two QR codes below. That for Confucius Temple via WeChat (left) requires registration using a Chinese ID number. With the system accepting digits only, holders of a Foreign Permanent Resident ID card cannot sadly join in the fun. In additional, would-be ticket holders need to select a specific time slot for their visit.
所需的电子机票可以通过下面的两个二维码获取。微信前往孔庙（左）需要使用中国身份证号码注册。由于系统只接受数字，外国永久居民身份证的持有者无法加入其中。此外，潜在的门票持有者需要选择特定的参观时间段。
There is better news though over on Alipay, provider of e-tickets for entry to Laomendong. The system extracts identity information from the user’s Alipay account and quickly presents a ticket. All the user need do is select the day on which they wish to visit and how many people shall be in their party.
不过，老门洞电子门票提供商支付宝上却传来了更好的消息。系统从用户的支付宝账户中提取身份信息并快速出示票据。用户所需要做的就是选择他们想要访问的日期以及他们的聚会中有多少人。
Readers should note that e-tickets are required for not only the inner sanctums of Confucius Temple and Laomendong, but also some of their environs, as the Yangtze Evening News reports. It is also advised to obtain the ticket(s) well in advance; waiting until arriving at the scenic spot’s entrance will likely result in disappointment.
读者需要注意的是，据《扬子晚报》报道，不仅夫子庙和老门洞的内殿需要电子门票，部分周边地区也需要电子门票。还建议提前获取门票；等到了景区门口，很可能会失望。
The effort should all be worth it, however. Whilst taking in the lights and lanterns, make sure to sample some Tangyuan (汤圆). The round shape of the glutinous-rice ball is believed to symbolise family togetherness.
不过，一切努力应该都是值得的。在欣赏灯光和灯笼的同时，一定要尝尝汤圆。糯米团的圆形被认为象征着家庭团聚。
Visitors to either Laomendong or Confucius Temple at this time of year might need all the luck they can get. With the crowds milling about, keeping the family together could prove to be the biggest challenge of all.
每年这个时候去老门洞或孔庙的游客可能需要所有的运气。在人群熙熙攘攘的情况下，让家人团聚可能是最大的挑战。
