By Michela Gritti
A group of UNC Pembroke students wrapped up their International Education Week on Saturday with a visit to the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary. The Office of Global Engagement organized the trip. Students left campus at 4 p.m. and returned close to 11 p.m.
The group spent the evening walking through the light installations at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The lanterns ranged from animals to flowers to larger themed pieces. Students also stopped to watch cultural dance performances. Many tried the Asian food offered at the event, though several said it was overpriced.
“It was really nice to stay with friends, and the decoration was unbelievably cool,” said Shirshendu Mondal, an international student who joined the trip.
Another student, Michaela McEuen, said her experience was shaped by the people she went with. “I honestly had a fun time, and I think it was because of the people I went with,” she said.
The Lantern Festival has a long history in China. The tradition dates back more than two thousand years and is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Early versions began during the Han Dynasty, when people lit lanterns in temples and homes. The practice grew into a wider cultural celebration centered on community and the welcoming of a new year.
Cary’s festival has become one of the area’s most attended seasonal events. Reports from the amphitheater show that the most recent season drew more than 249,000 visitors. Another report states the festival sold more than 257,000 tickets and generated over ten million dollars in direct economic impact for Wake County. Outlets such as WRAL and ABC11 have covered these attendance records.
For UNC Pembroke students, the night offered a calm ending to a full week of events. Many said the lanterns were impressive, but being there with friends made the experience stand out the most.