Sanlitun's light festival brings cheer to fashion hub

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Art works by light artists and art teams from across the world have turned Beijing's Sanlitun area, the city's iconic fashion hub, into a luminous world with an ongoing light festival.

The light festival, which runs through Nov 5, is an annual event organized by Taikooli Sanlitun since 2014.

It aims to present a visual feast for visitors and shoppers.

Entitled Lights Play, the festival this year features four large-scale outdoor interactive lighting installations.

New York-based interactive artist Jen Lewin's iconic work The Pool is being exhibited for the first time in China. It consists of 106 LED-lit circle platforms on the ground that change color when people step on them.

Angels is a series of luminous wings and halos co-produced by German artist Gaston Zahr and Israeli artist Merav Eitan.

The other two light installations have lots of flowers — either hanging from trees or showcased along the street.

According to Yu Guo’an, the general manager of Taikooli Sanlitun, the area was one of the first shopping centers in China to introduce a light festival that features well-known international artists every year.

He says Sanlitun also keeps a keen eye on art and culture.

And the area is also supporting this year's Beijing International Music Festival, which runs until Oct 28. An exhibition center in Sanlitun is hosting operas as part of the music festival.