Shanghai’s historic Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival has undergone a revolutionary transformation, expanding beyond its traditional boundaries for the first time to incorporate contemporary cultural elements. The collectibles giant Pop Mart has partnered with the festival to bring its globally recognized characters to life through elaborate light installations, creating a unique fusion of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations and modern pop culture.
The festival’s expanded footprint now encompasses Gucheng Park, Middle Fangbang Road, Fuyou Road, and the iconic Bund area, running through March 3rd. While Yuyuan Garden maintains traditional folk culture themes, the new zones embrace contemporary aesthetics through Pop Mart’s intellectual properties.
Center stage is Labubu, the sharp-toothed, pointy-eared creation of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung that has become a global phenomenon. The character joins other Pop Mart favorites including Twinkle Twinkle, Molly, Skullpanda, and Hirono in lantern form throughout the expanded festival grounds.
The Bund Finance Center has launched a special Chinese New Year Garden Fair in collaboration with Pop Mart, featuring a magnificent palace lantern carousel adorned with twelve classic IPs at its North Plaza. Additional installations include Twinkle Twinkle in the Sky Garden against Shanghai’s iconic Huangpu River skyline and Molly at the South Mall entrance accompanied by traditional drum dance performances.
The festival’s blend of tradition and modernity has attracted both local enthusiasts and international visitors. Frans-Jan van Meer, a supply chain manager from the Netherlands, expressed delight at discovering the Pop Mart pop-up store during his first visit to China. “My daughters are fans of Pop Mart in Europe,” he shared while purchasing blind boxes. “The new Golden Gallop series feels authentically Chinese and exotic to us.”
Pop Mart’s participation reflects its soaring global popularity. The company’s 2025 interim results revealed staggering growth with a 204.4% increase in first-half revenue, reaching 13.88 billion yuan. The Monsters brand featuring Lababu generated 4.81 billion yuan in sales during the first half of 2025, representing 668% year-on-year growth and accounting for nearly 35% of total revenue.
This cultural fusion event demonstrates how traditional Chinese celebrations are evolving to incorporate modern elements while simultaneously introducing global audiences to Chinese cultural exports. As van Meer observed, “Chinese, and Asian culture generally, is getting more popular globally… You can see it more in Europe, and I think that’s a good thing.”