Nanjing’s Confucius Temple is renown nationwide for its new year’s lanterns. But that definition extends to the western new year, bringing joy yesterday evening to revellers as they said goodbye to 2022 and wondered what the next 12 months will bring.
Whereas the lanterns on display at Chinese New Year at Confucius Temple, a.k.a. Fuzimiao, are those of the traditional Chinese variety, it being Lantern festival after all, for western new year, it’s a case of anything goes. Or almost anything. For the Year of the Rabbit is incoming. And that puts bunnies front and foremost in this New Year’s pageant.
夫子庙过年放的灯笼是中国传统的灯笼，毕竟是元宵节，对于西方的过年来说，什么都行。或者几乎任何东西。兔年即将到来。这使得兔子在今年的新年盛会上占据了最重要的地位。
According to the Yangtze Evening News, the inescapable colourful lanterns adorning the Confucius Temple area in Nanjing are this year focused on the Temple itself, the Dacheng Hall, the Imperial Examination Museum, the Qinhuai River Cruise route and other scenic spots.
据扬子晚报报道，今年南京夫子庙地区不可错过的彩灯主要集中在夫子庙、大成殿、科举博物馆、秦淮河游船路线等景点。
Visitors arriving are likely to first note the big red lanterns hung on both sides of Gongyuan Xi Jie just as two giant dragons. Much, much more, lies in store, a total of 170 lantern sets in fact, displayed throughout Confucius Temple that is one of Nanjing’s two National 5A level tourist attractions.
到达的游客可能首先注意到公园西街两侧悬挂的大红灯笼，就像两条巨龙。南京两个国家5A级旅游景区之一的夫子庙里，总共展示了170套灯笼。
According to the general manager of Qinhuai Lantern Company of Nanjing Confucius Temple Culture and Tourism Group, this year’s lanterns take lotus flowers and auspicious clouds as the core of the exhibition, embellished with koi, pine, cypress and Confucian scholars. These not only convey the meaning of good luck, but also conform to the cultural firmament of the Dacheng Hall that is the very core of Fuzimiao.
据南京夫子庙文旅集团秦淮彩灯公司总经理介绍，今年彩灯以荷花、祥云为展览核心，点缀锦鲤、松柏、儒生等。这些不仅传达了吉祥的寓意，也符合夫子庙核心大成殿的文化氛围。
Come Spring Festival itself, the area will hold a series of imperial examination culture and Confucian-themed performances. These shall dovetail nicely with the Qinhuai Lantern Cultural and Creative Arts Festival that gets under way on 14 January.
每逢春节，该地区将举办一系列科举文化和儒家主题表演。这些都与1月14日即将开幕的秦淮灯文化创意艺术节完美契合。
That’s the time to head to Confucius Temple this year, to check out the creative lighting and intangible cultural heritage products on offer. Even the mascot of last year’s Winter Olympics will grace us with its presence, together with a “Bing Dwen Dwen” series of products.
今年正是去夫子庙看看创意灯饰和非遗产品的好时机。就连去年冬奥会的吉祥物也将携“Bing Dwen Dwen”系列产品亮相。
Qinhuai lanterns are perhaps the foremost annual tradition in Nanjing, while this year is the 40th in the Chinese calendar’s sexagenary cycle (癸卯; guimao). That’s all the reason needed to turn the Qinhuai River and the Ming City Wall into a world of lights and a sea of joy.
秦淮灯也许是南京最重要的一年一度传统，而今年是农历癸卯四十周年。这就是秦淮河和明城墙变成灯的世界和欢乐的海洋的原因。
