It was an evening of lights and line ups at the Botanical Gardens last Saturday.
The warm weather and enchanting glow radiating from more than 600 chinese lanterns, which are currently on display until Nov. 4th, was the perfect atmosphere for a tranquil, romantic stroll. However, tranquility and romance were hardly possible among the throngs of people touring the Gardens over the weekend.
Myself, a native Montrealer, had never been to this particular tourist
attraction and therefore, jumped at the opportunity to see the widely advertised lantern exhibition.
I must admit that I had no idea the Botanical Gardens were such a popular Saturday night venue, until I saw the massive amount traffic heading into the parking lot.
By the time I was standing in the ticket line, having spent twenty minutes
looking for parking, I had convinced myself that Britney Spears must be giving a concert inside. After all, there were mostly families with children in attendance.
Once the ever-so-patient boyfriend, who was not thrilled of being there to begin with, and I finally got through the entrance gates, we were faced with even more waiting. Lines to get into the information building, lines in the bathroom, lines entering the gift shop, lines crowding the artisan booths, and lines blocking every pathway through the Garden. The visit was truly epic.
Nevertheless, the actual exhibit ion was spectacular. The illuminating colours of the dragon and lilly shaped lanterns cast beautiful reflections on to the mirror-like ponds.
The elaborate silk lanterns, made by artists in Shanghai, came in a large
variety of forms: fish leaped from the water, birds were perched in the trees, tigers crawled through the forest, and butterflies hung from the walls of pavilions.
The use of decorative lanterns, such as the ones described above, date back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.), when they served to illuminate and adorn Chinese festivities. As the centuries passed, this tradition became widespread.
Lanterns varied in shapes and sizes and often portrayed fables, historic events, prominent figures and symbolic creatures. For instance, the form of a butterfly is said to represent love.
Despite the crying babies, adolescents whining about being dragged on a family outing and the boyfriend’s sarcastic commentary, I would say it was a worth while endeavor. I would, however, strongly advise those interested to consider visiting the Botanical Gardens on a week night, rather than on a warm Saturday evening.
The warm weather and enchanting glow radiating from more than 600 chinese lanterns, which are currently on display until Nov. 4th, was the perfect atmosphere for a tranquil, romantic stroll. However, tranquility and romance were hardly possible among the throngs of people touring the Gardens over the weekend.
Myself, a native Montrealer, had never been to this particular tourist
attraction and therefore, jumped at the opportunity to see the widely advertised lantern exhibition.
I must admit that I had no idea the Botanical Gardens were such a popular Saturday night venue, until I saw the massive amount traffic heading into the parking lot.
By the time I was standing in the ticket line, having spent twenty minutes
looking for parking, I had convinced myself that Britney Spears must be giving a concert inside. After all, there were mostly families with children in attendance.
Once the ever-so-patient boyfriend, who was not thrilled of being there to begin with, and I finally got through the entrance gates, we were faced with even more waiting. Lines to get into the information building, lines in the bathroom, lines entering the gift shop, lines crowding the artisan booths, and lines blocking every pathway through the Garden. The visit was truly epic.
Nevertheless, the actual exhibit ion was spectacular. The illuminating colours of the dragon and lilly shaped lanterns cast beautiful reflections on to the mirror-like ponds.
The elaborate silk lanterns, made by artists in Shanghai, came in a large
variety of forms: fish leaped from the water, birds were perched in the trees, tigers crawled through the forest, and butterflies hung from the walls of pavilions.
The use of decorative lanterns, such as the ones described above, date back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.), when they served to illuminate and adorn Chinese festivities. As the centuries passed, this tradition became widespread.
Lanterns varied in shapes and sizes and often portrayed fables, historic events, prominent figures and symbolic creatures. For instance, the form of a butterfly is said to represent love.
Despite the crying babies, adolescents whining about being dragged on a family outing and the boyfriend’s sarcastic commentary, I would say it was a worth while endeavor. I would, however, strongly advise those interested to consider visiting the Botanical Gardens on a week night, rather than on a warm Saturday evening.
The Magic of Lanterns exhibition at the Botanical Gardens, located near Pie-IX metro station at 4101 Sherbrooke St East, is open daily until 9:00 pm. Adults and student fares are $10.00 and $7.50 respectively. For more information call (514) 872-1400 or check out www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin.
