Event organizers also reimagined Lantern Festival customs through interactive "gamification".
For example, the "Thousand-Lantern" wall at the Bauhaus Square, the largest of its kind in Beijing, was an instant sensation. In keeping with the tradition of lantern riddles, organizers infused the puzzles with internet buzzwords and art-world trivia. Successful riddle solvers were awarded "banknotes" that could be exchanged for chocolates shaped like traditional gold ingots.
The spirit of engagement continued at the Electronic Square, where three ponies—arguably the evening's biggest stars—delighted visitors with interactive encounters. An archery coach offered hands-on lessons in the ancient sport, one of the "six classical arts" (rites, music, archery, chariot driving, calligraphy and mathematics) that formed the foundation of aristocratic education in ancient China.
