Forty-nine artisans from China have turned steel, satin and LED lights into magic in Pomona.
They are the workers behind Luminasia, a new exhibit making its Southern California debut tonight Aug. 29at the Los Angeles County Fair.
It’s one of the attractions at the 92nd L.A. Fair that breaks with the usual traditions of crafts exhibitions, livestock pens, carnival rides and deep-fried foods.
Luminasia is a display of giant lanterns modeled on the annual lantern festival in Zigong, China, and its traditions are even older.
“It goes back 2,000 years,” said Qing Hu, production manager. “Every spring … we always have a lantern festival. It started with putting fabrics over bamboo, all wooden structures. But … nowadays they’re getting big and more colorful, so we changed to steel structures so it can get bigger and bigger.”
There will be 150 figures of various sizes that comprise Luminasia, the largest being a 100-foot-long dragon and a 35-foot-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower. They are made in “a traditional way,” Hu said, with colorful satin fabrics stretched over steel frames with cool white LED lights inside.
The entire exhibit required more than 800 yards of fabric, she said.
Luminasia is produced by a Los Angeles company called International Special Attractions. cqIts crew on-site at the Fairplex includes the artisans, who are from the Sichuan province of China, “where the pandas are from,” Hu said.
Installation took about a month on a hillside in the Home & Gardens section of the fair south of the main entrance. The area is usually used for animal shows, and last year it was home to a show starring a Capuchin monkey called Mojo. This year, Mojo has moved to the lagoon a short distance away.
On a recent visit to the Fairplex, work was spread out over the hill, where many of the giant lanterns were completed but not yet in place. Workers were preparing a string of red umbrellas to hang over pathways that follow the hill’s natural contours.
Others were welding the frame for a 20-foot replica of Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, the exhibit’s sponsor.
According to Hu, Luminasia is divided into three themes, Hu said: China, a garden setting, and Southern California.
“It’s mostly traditional Chinese themed, but also we included some L.A. elements,” Hu said.
Luminasia is a first for Southern California and has only been presented in two other U.S. cities, she said. It was produced for three years at The Galt House in Louisville, Ky., and last year it was hosted by the Washington State Fair.
Luminasia will open at 6 p.m. and has a $9 admission charge beyond fair admission.
Although Luminasia was meant to be seen at night, Hu believes passersby will find it pleasing at any time.
“In the daytime it’s also beautiful,” she said.
Contact the writer: fbuck@pe.com or 951-368-9551
