China Lights

So beautiful!! For me, this was definitely a must see. It's in lovely City Park, so there's that going for it right off the bat.The lights themselves are creative and cool and just fascinatingly gorgeous. I agree that the dragon, fish and pagoda are the big highlights here. Experiencing those alone are worth the admission price, in my opinion.We didn't partake in the food here-so I can't comment on that and for some reason Storyland was closed on a Saturday night unlike Celebration in the Oaks...so that was strange, but all in all I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend it.

I am so excited! I enjoyed China Lights so much I went twice in a week!First off, yes it's $18 but it's worth it- there is a lot going on, it's really enjoyable and you can make an evening out of it. There are a few different layers to China Lights, so let me hit them one by one.The lantern lights:This is the main attraction. Gorgeous lit up lanterns of all types that illuminate the Botanical Gardens. It's really hard to pick a favorite, but I loved the panda bears and the penguins. Some of y'all know that penguins have a special place in my heart since I got to cuddle some once at the aquarium. I also loved the big light up ducks that were in a reflecting pool and moving around on a little track. I'm doing a terrible job at describing it, but trust me it's beautiful. It's really hard to describe how amazing the lights are in person and I can only imagine how much work this whole exhibit took to put together from the planning to the execution. It was definitely worth the work!The performances:In the tent where they serve the food they have nightly performances at 6:30 and 8:00. We caught the 8:00 show and the performers are straight from China. This is what they do for a living and it shows. First there were three young ladies who did acrobatics while spinning plates, the next man was a juggler who was only 18 but is an expert at juggling rings, there were contortionists who could do crazy bendy things and there was even a clown. The show lasts about 20 minutes or so and it was fantastic! These people are amazingly talented and I am so glad I got to see something like this in person.The food:I got a burger. It was a burger. Who cares? The star of the food show is the muffaletta egg rolls. Oh yeah, we are talking muffaletta goodies wrapped in a wonton and fried- totally healthy, right? OH MY GAAAAAH. So, I am going to have to go back just to get this egg roll again. It was incredible and I really should have just eaten this and called it a day. Seriously though, is there anywhere in NOLA that makes this so I can like have it on a regular basis? Please advise.All in all, I loved China Lights. It was a lot of fun and the weather is perfect for it right now. I went on both a weeknight and a weekend. I would suggest going on a weeknight because there are way fewer people and the lines to get tickets, food, bathroom, etc. are a lot shorter/non-existent. I will be back before May 1st and I hope that City Park makes this an annual thing.

This was without a doubt the most stunning thing I have ever seen, Over 30 separate brilliant exhibits of silk covered light installations showcasing China's storied culture. Everything from playful pandas to a field of extra large tulips to tip toe through, brightly illuminated peacocks, a pagoda complete with moving parts, and a dragon that was easily over 100 feet long and I couldn't even capture it in one photo no matter how creatively I angled the camera! There was so much, it was hard to take it all in. Each exhibit had a sign explaining the detail and meaning that most people would tend to overlook and it gave further insight into China's history and culture. The same goes for the live performance by Chinese acrobats and dancers and performing artists. I wish the exhibit had been here longer and I hope City Park continues to attract National and International touring exhibits like this one. I feel like I was exposed to so much beauty and culture and am so thrilled I got to experience it. The exhibit was a masterpiece that even eclipsed the whimsy and beauty of Celebration in the Oaks- and that's saying A LOT because that exhibit is gorgeous and seems to get better and more creative every year.

This event was really great. It's good for people of all ages. The people who put this together really outdid the annual Celebration at The Oaks Christmas lights. Bring your kids, bring your mom, bring a first date! This event is good for people of all ages. The details on some of the work is remarkable.There's an area with really cool life size horoscope animals. They even have plaques that let you know what your spirit animal says about you. I was born on the year of the Ox...unfortunately the Ox looked more like the high Ox on Zootopia, and less like the Ox on True Blood. If you're lucky you can find all seven dragon balls and summon Shenron to grant you one wish. If you're not lucky, you'll eat the Mufulatta Egg Rolls....stay away from the mufflers egg rolls.#DragonBallZ #Zootopia #SaltyMufalettaEggRolls

Absolutely beautiful event. A light display show out of this world we live here in New Orleans lol. China lanterns all over the place. I'm not sure if this event is a multi-city city tour, butif it popped up somewhere else, I wouldn't mind going

China Lights is an awesome experience, and I encourage everyone to go check it out. My family and I loved it. The lantern lights are amazing to check out, and the performances at 630 and 8 are worth the price of admission alone.The food is also great, and they serve imported chinese beer.And this isn't a complaint, but just something I noticed. My family and I went for the first time in Feb, and there were a total of 5 performances at the Saturday night show at 8. I took my family again, and it seems they cut it down to 3 at a time, with the hula performance cut entirely. Also, at the last performance I went to, every performer made a goof. Plates were dropped, juggler missed his rings a few times, and the mask changer ripped off half his mask. I felt terrible for these guys, as they are doing these performances twice a night nearly every night. My only gripe is that as a friend's of city park holder, I should get some kind of discount.

I agree, $18 is steep for this event. However, I enjoyed this event. City Park did a good job and all the lights were beautiful. The artists and show were nice and entertaining. It was a relaxing environment and a good Sunday night event. I would recommend it.

China Lights was such a treat and wonderful addition to City Park. I bought my tickets right when they went on sale and didn't end up going till two nights bf they closed the exhibit! It was just beautiful and a once in a lifetime experience. I took so many pictures that I can't wait to see how they come out in print. I'm so glad I got to enjoy this once in a lifetime event.