Two girls hold Chinese lantern for Lantern Procession and Lion Dance outside Art Institute of Chicago, the United States, on March.3, 2018.(Xinhua/Wang Ping)
CHICAGO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The citywide celebrations of the Chinese lunar New Year in the U.S. city of Chicago culminated with a lantern procession this weekend, making the traditional Lantern Festival.
A special event called "Lantern Celebration" is co-organized Saturday by Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), Chinese Fine Arts Society and Maggie Daley Park. Attendees of the activities learned to make Chinese lanterns, watched Chinese ancient story telling and Chinese music, and joined a lion dance-led lantern procession.
Local residents attend Lantern Procession during the Lantern Celebration Event outside Art Institute of Chicago, the United States, on March 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)
In the modern wing of AIC, dozens of children with their parents crowded the small stage as the host Norman Garcy Yap was telling the origin of Chinese Lantern Festival, while a local Chinese artist played traditional Chinese instrument "Erhu".
Three kids were invited to perform with the story told by host, and the interaction was echoed with laughter and applause.
A Chinese artist interacts with young children with Chinese story telling at Art Institute of Chicago, the United States, on March 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)
In the Ryan Learning Center of AIC, hundreds of American parents made Chinese lanterns with their children. Moreover, the museum also provided visitors with Chinese language tour, and offered Chinese festival food at the museum's restaurant.
A wonderful lion dance-led lantern procession brought the celebration to climax, as hundreds of people marched from Millennium Park to Maggie Daley Park, where dozens of children in Chinese traditional costume performed figure skating in the ice rink.
Children perform figure skating during the Lantern Celebration Event in Chicago, the United States, on March 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)
Apart from lantern celebration, AIC opened an exhibition titled "Mirroring China's Past: Emperors and their Bronzes" which began on Feb. 25 and lasts till May 13.
AIC keeps a close relationship with China, and it has organized many exhibitions of its collection from China, held several events to introduce Chinese culture, such as Chinese lunar festival celebration, including Lunar New Year and Mid Autumn Day.
Chicago is the first U.S. city to launch Chinese New Year celebration in the name of city government, and 2018 will be the fifth year for the City of Chicago to mark Chinese New Year.