Osmanthus Gardens lantern festival draws thousands

This year's festival used more than twice as much area and had more double the number of lanterns than last year. Photo / Paul Taylor

The Osmanthus Garden lantern festival in Hastings has again drawn thousands of visitors, and even a special musical guest.

The 13th annual lantern festival celebrates Hastings' sister city relationship with Guilin in China, a relationship which is 40 years old this year.

A Hastings District Council spokesperson said between 12,000 and 15,000 people attended over the week it was open.

The gardens were developed jointly by Guilin City (which supplied a landscape designer for a year), the Hawke's Bay Chinese Association (which funded the main pavilion), and Hastings District Council.

The annual Lighting of the Osmanthus Gardens lantern festival ran from April 12 to 18. Photo / File

There were opened in 1996 on the 15th anniversary of the Sister City relationship.

"This year we are celebrating our district's 40 year Sister City relationship with Guilin in China. The gardens were built through that relationship, so it's fitting that we make this year's festival as wonderful as possible," councillor Kevin Watkins said.

Bigger than ever, this year there was more than twice the amount of area used for the festival and double the number of lanterns in the festival.

International artist Annie Gong - a one woman orchestra - played on the Friday and Saturday.

Alex Roess, 14, Stepha Roess, Sandra Roess, and Amy Roess, 14, from Hastings enjoying the lantern festival on Thursday night. Photo / Paul Taylor

Aaliya Chatterton, 7, at the festival on the Thursday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Gong is based in New Zealand but had been playing internationally until Covid-19 grounded her last year.

Born in China, she has spent the last 12 months playing to Kiwi audiences with her blend of Chinese fusion, classical pieces and rock music on the piano accordion.

Annie started playing the instrument at 5 and trained at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music and has performed with major symphony orchestras all over the world, from Beijing to New York.

The festival ran every night for seven days from April 12 to 18.

International piano accordionist Annie Gong played at the lantern festival on the Friday and Saturday nights. Photo / Supplied