Written by Holly Booth
The Greater Bay Area Lantern Carnival opens in Guangzhou’s Nansha district, a week before Chinese New Year. Spread across 53.8 hectares around Tianhou Palace and Coastal Park, this is a massive, 90-day celebration.
What happens?
After drawing more than 710,000 visitors last year, the GBA Lantern Carnival returns on an even grander scale with five themed zones, hundreds of large‑scale lantern installations, and thousands of cultural performances.
Wander along the 2.5km route of immense displays, enhanced by AI‑powered features and interact with the spaces co‑created by young designers from across the Greater Bay Area. Beyond the lanterns, the programme includes drone shows, live concerts, festive markets, and cultural showcases.
Schedule
The carnival will run daily for 90 days, from 4 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. (unless there are special events on).
Tickets
A range of ticket types are available, from single‑day passes to family bundles but average adult tickets range between HK$208.00 and HK$242.00.
Hong Kong and Macao visitors holding carnival tickets can claim a 10% subsidy on transport costs (train, air, ferry, or highway tolls). Carnival ticket-holders can also access Nansha Tinhou Temple, Nansha Wetland, and Nansha Mingzhu Agricultural Park at no extra cost.
How to get there
- From Hong Kong, there are a few different routes you can take to get across the border to Guangzhou.
- By Boat: Passengers can board the ferry from the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui or from SkyPier at Hong Kong International Airport, taking about 1.5 to 2 hours to arrive at Nansha Passenger Port.
- By high speed train: Multiple trains run directly between West Kowloon Railway Station and Guangzhou South Railway Station throughout the day, taking about 1 to 2 hours.
- By bus: There are loads of bus routes available, with more pick up and drop off locations available than the boat or train but travel time can take between 3 to 4 hours depending on traffic conditions.
Pro tip: Considering spending more time north of the border? Check out our full guide on how to travel from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.