Cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou launched a series of night-time shows these days to fill both cities with a strong festive atmosphere with the approach of the upcoming Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 17 this year.

In Shanghai's Lujiazui area, a spectacular light show was staged to offer people a vivid visual experience on Saturday. Along the banks of the Huangpu River, traditional folk performances, such as molten iron fireworks, added festive atmosphere for the upcoming holiday. Besides, cultural activities were also held in the Shanghai Library to mark the Chinese New Year, including a traditional wedding ceremony and an intangible cultural heritage market.

Just a day earlier, Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, kicked off its annual lantern show in the Yuexiu Park with a 20-meter-tall lion head installed over the main gate. The lantern show sets up 85 groups of distinctive lantern displays scattered throughout the 10 major tourist areas.

As the upcoming Chinese New Year will be the Year of Horse, the show embraces a group of lanterns featuring horses galloping over a lake inside the park.

"[The lantern show] is really fun, and I highly recommend everyone come, because each place has its own culture that is worth experiencing," said a local.

This year's Guangzhou Spring Festival lantern show takes Yuexiu Park as its main venue and started simultaneously with seven other parks as sub-venues. The citywide celebration is scheduled to run through March 8.