BOGOTA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Giant Chinese lanterns are shining bright in Colombia's biggest botanical garden to celebrate a special holiday season.
Decorated with hundreds of colored lanterns in various shapes and sizes, Bogota's Botanical Garden is holding a lantern show called "Brilla Colombia," which runs from Nov. 16, 2019 to January 12, 2020.
The park is illuminated by 470 lanterns shaped like animals and plants, including tropical birds with two-meter-long wingspans, pumas peering down from treetops, and a giant Chinese dragon floating over the garden's central lake.
"This is the first time it is been done in Latin America and it seeks to highlight ... Colombia's eight ecosystems that are so rich in fauna," Alejandro Munoz, head of communications for Bogota's Botanical Garden, told Xinhua.
Chinese company Zigong Lantern Group, a lantern industry leader, is behind the dazzling display. With each lantern skillfully crafted from wire and painted silk, the largest comes in at over 21 m long.
With their low energy consumption and use of low-impact technology, the lanterns meet the park's environmental goals.
Lit by around 1,000 LED bulbs, the lanterns made their three-month journey from China to Colombia by sea, further strengthening their eco-friendly credentials.
The park hosts a holiday show each year which usually starts on Dec. 1, but this time it wanted to provide visitors with "a new alternative," Munoz said.
So, what do visitors think of the display so far?
"Wonderful," said Estela Lucas, a frequent visitor to the garden who recently traveled to China."Chinese people are at the forefront of technology and beautiful things."
Another visitor, Ana Isabel Lopez, said the show raises Bogota's profile, which she believes will attract more travelers.
"With this beautiful exhibition, they must come to visit our country," said Lopez.
