Lanterns and moonlight
From the first full moon of the lunar year to the longest night, follow how places across Asia mark time with light.
Follow it on the 3D globe4 stops on the route
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1Zigong Lantern Festival
Zigong, China
15th day of the first lunar month · Next: 20 Feb 2027
The Lantern Festival closes the lunar new year. Zigong is known for its giant lantern displays: people stroll the lantern grounds at night, solve lantern riddles and eat tangyuan.
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2Fujian Mid-Autumn Bobing
Xiamen, China
15th day of the eighth lunar month · Next: 15 Sep 2027
Under the Mid-Autumn full moon, families in southern Fujian roll dice in a bowl for bobing, winning mooncakes by the throw, then view and honour the moon together.
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3Yi Peng Lantern Festival
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month · Next: 24 Nov 2026 – 25 Nov 2026
In Chiang Mai, Yi Peng shares the full moon with Loy Krathong. People release sky lanterns and float krathongs on the river, sending off the old year's bad luck and handing their wishes to the night.
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4Tehran Fire and Yalda Festival
Tehran, Iran
Winter solstice night · Next: 21 Dec 2026
Yalda is the longest night of the year. Families stay up together until dawn, share pomegranates and watermelon, and open Hafez's poems to read their fortune.
How the route works
Open the route on MapDepth's 3D globe and it flies to each stop in turn, with the timeline set to that stop's month. Step through it yourself or let it play.
Open the route