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London Gems: 2016 Magical Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year celebrations may be over, but there is a secret place in London where you can relive them all over again until 6 March. Tucked away in Chiswick House & Gardens, the Magical Lantern Festival is an extravaganza of lights, culture, music and art. It takes you on a magical journey through gardens’ hidden paths exploring various themes and revealing 50 giant artistic lantern installations. Without going to China, festival visitors can explore 2000-year tradition of celebrating the arrival of the lunar new year. Something I didn’t know before coming here is that in China lantern making has turned into a true craftsmanship. Reflecting rich Chinese cultural heritage lanterns became more…
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London Says Good-bye to the Olympics, and Sochi Says Hello
As the London 2012 Olympics drew to close, Russia’s journey to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi continues. (Originally published on www.agimag.com). Themed ‘Where Russia Greets the World’, two venues, Russia.Park and Sochi.Park in Kensington Gardens welcomed tourists and Londoners alike for the past two weeks. Targeted to promote Russian culture and start building up the hype about next Winter Olympics, Russia.Park turned into the biggest Russian event ever hosted in London. While Sochi.Park became a high-tech, digital winter wonderland with performances from Russian and world ice skating champions, Russia.Park was about cultural experiences. It featured picnic zones with food and drinks from across Russia, performance spaces, spectacular ice shows,…
