The 2025 Guangzhou International Light Festival lit up the city on November 16, launching an 11-night spectacle that will glow through November 26. 

This year's main installations are centered along Guangzhou's New Central Axis, spanning Huacheng Square and Haixinsha Asian Games Park, where 36 light art pieces transform the urban core after dark.

 Additional displays extend along the Pearl River waterfront and key areas including Huangpu District. 

A showstopper at the opening ceremony was the return of the giant golden Aoyu—a mythical dragon-headed, fish-bodied creature revered in Lingnan culture as an auspicious symbol of academic success and prosperity. 

Having first captivated audiences during the 15th National Games opening, its reappearance drew cheers and a wave of smartphone cameras as it“swam”back into the spotlight, delighting visitors young and old. 

Source: Guangzhou Daily
Reporter: Liu Chunlin
Photos & Video: Yang Yaoye
Video Editor: Lyu Yun
English Author & Editor: Lyu Yun