CNY Lantern Celebrations

A few days after I got back from winter break, China had its famous Chinese New Year Lantern Festival. 

I was super excited to light lanterns and see them rise above the city! Only to find that's not allowed here. It's actually one of those laws that's enforced too. I don't know of many of those here. I'm sure there are a lot, I mean it's a country hefty on restrictions, I've just witnessed the opposite much of the time. 


I think the banning has something to do with the high rises and number of people. Typically, here in the world's largest city, I'm finding big celebrations and restrictions such as no fireworks are due to problematic issues with mobs resulting in deaths in the past. It's good to be tall in this city I tell ya. You can see over almost everyone's head and figure out the line you want to go, plus you typically win a pushing and shoving battle. Unless it's with grandmas. Gotta watch out for them.


My friend, Julie, and I ventured down to a special place called YuYuan Gardens one evening after work. We felt all wild and crazy leaving the Pudong area of the city to venture across the river into Puxi on a school night (think New Jersey and NYC).


It was a blast! 

We ate the CNY special dumplings then walked through streets looking up to view the mass amounts of Chinese lanterns. 

We ate the CNY special dumplings then walked through streets looking up to view the mass amounts of Chinese lanterns Then we found the garden walkway. I do believe half of Shanghai was there! We got push and shoved then pushed and shoved back all while snapping quick shots, turning around trying to spot each other, yelling to one another in English hoping it would stand out amidst the loudness, then did a little hop and a jig when we reached the exit. "WE MADE IT!!!" 

One of the most humorous parts of the evening was dodging a stern-faced cameraman who only wanted to take a picture of me when he thought I couldn't see him. I was going to indulge the man, but when I smiled he glared, so Julie held up her Starbucks cup Very CNY of us, right? in front of my face each time he went in for a shot.

She's great. We laughed. Then took more pictures.

After the excitement we went in search of a Chinese foot massage place. She's had them. I haven't. The directions too us to a dance venue I've been to before. Turns out the foot massage place we looked up, most likely not so umm..shall we say, legit?

We opted for a taxi and headed home. It was a night FILLED with culture to say the least.