Thoiry Lumières Sauvages: Chinese lights festival at Zoo de Thoiry

Thoiry ZooSafari welcomes from October 28, 2018 to March 10, 2019, the biggest Chinese lanterns festival in Île-de-France: Thoiry Lumières Sauvages. On the menu: 600 giant light sculptures to be discovered at nightfall.

A trip to the heart of traditional China since the lanterns are created according to ancestral secrets by Chinese artists coming straight from the city of Zigong. Entirely handmade, these sculptures are made according to the traditional Chinese know-how. Craftsmen create a metallic structure so that it can get the shape they want then they cover it with hand-painted fabric.

It’s an original 30-scenes tour, especially thought up for the zoo, gathering 600 lanterns that we can discover all together in the park at nightfall.

And for an even more complete immersion into the Chinese culture, don’t miss the show called “Masques de Sichuan” [Sichuan Masks] or visiting the traditional craft market.

• The show: Les Masques de Sichuan

Sichuan drama company performs on the stage facing the giant dragon. We find high-wire walkers, acrobats and face transformists like in the traditional Chinese theater. Sichuan opera company has a long story going back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The art of “bian lian” that could be translated as “face changing” is particularly impressive. Generally dressed in a cloak and a fan, the dancer changes mask in the blink of an eye. He can change his mask about ten times, going through emotions, joy, sadness, anger…

• Traditional craft market

Set across the giant dragon, the traditional market includes about ten craftsmen, coming from Zigong working before visitors’ eyes. The occasion to admire these jewelers’, sculptors’, painters’ and ancestral lucky charms creators’ incredible skills and know-how.

In other words, a fantastic discovery to complete with your family, lover or friends for a unique and spectacular show.

Dates and time slots

• October 28, 2018 to March 10, 2019
• Opening days:
  • Zoo + Safari + Thoiry Lumières Sauvages: Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays
    Every day during Fall break
  • Thoiry Lumières Sauvages only (Zoo + Safari closed): Friday evenings excluding school break
• Time slots
  • Zoo + Safari: open from 11 a.m.
  • Thoiry Lumières Sauvages:
    • October, November, December, January: from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
    • February and March: from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.