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Albert Park was last night aglow with hundreds of lanterns before the lights went out on the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Organisers of this year's Auckland Lantern Festival believe close to 200,000 people attended the event - the most in its eight-year history.
Hundreds of specially made lanterns, effigies and lighting decorations made in China and imported for the weekend's event adorned trees and the park's few empty spaces.
The rest of the central city park was abuzz with singers, martial arts demonstrations, tea ceremonies, fortune tellers and many food stalls.
Since the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD 221), the Chinese lantern festival has been celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar year in the Chinese calendar.
The festival also celebrates the last day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
"It's basically like Christmas for the Chinese," said Janine Chin of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
"This is the time of year when families get together and eat special foods, buy new clothes and everyone's nice to each other," said Ms Chin.
In ancient times the date once served as a day for matchmaking and was one of the few nights without a strict curfew.
Young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love while matchmakers tried to pair couples.
The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope.
Ms Chin heaped praise on the weather for making it their best event yet - she said more than 100,000 people were there on Saturday - and was hopeful next year's Auckland Lantern Festival would also be held at Albert Park.
"It's been great, there's been this lovely ambience and I don't think I have ever seen so many people taking snapshots."
