Swarm of drones light up night sky in Guangzhou lantern festival
The annual lantern festival in Guangzhou, southern China was given a 21st century twist this year when 1,000 glowing drones took to the skies to mark the end of the Lunar New Year. The drones provided a colourful spectacle as they created different symbols and patterns in the night sky, in a light show that took engineers months to coordinate. The paper lanterns traditionally used in the festival are usually made out of silk or paper and are coloured red for luck. The drone display was designed to mimic the appearance of lanterns in the sky. 

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A ancient Chinese festival got high-tech over the weekend, with drones replacing the traditional candle-lit lanterns.

In total, 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles took off at a square in Guangzhou, southern China, on the Lantern Festival on February 11 to create a glittering night sky, according to Huanqiu.com, an affiliation to People's Daily.

Marking the final day of Chinese New Year celebrations, the performance saw the colourful devices forming various patterns in the sky, such as the map of China and the digits 2017.

Futuristic: Chinese New Year got high-tech over the weekend, with drones replacing the traditional candle-lit lanterns

Video footage of the extravaganza, filmed by CCTV News, shows the drones taking off and slowly changing their flight course to form various shapes and symbols.

The devices change colour to create different patterns and at one point, the sky is ablaze with a mix of multi-coloured balls.

In the process, musicians from the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra provided a rousing soundtrack.

It apparently took engineers months to coordinate the impressive light show and there were numerous test runs before the public performance.

A total of 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles took off at a square in Guangzhou, southern China, to create a glittering night sky

The colourful devices formed various patterns in the sky, such as the map of China and the digits 2017, during the show

Video footage shows the drones taking off and slowly changing their flight courses to form various shapes and symbols

Millions of citizens celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival across China on Saturday. The event traditionally ends the country's New Year period and marks the return of spring.

During celebrations, Chinese lanterns are released. Traditionally the floating balloons are made out of paper and silk. They are also coloured red to symbolise luck and happiness.

The lanterns are omnipresent throughout towns and countryside, trotted out at most important occasions: marriages, business openings, and most of all the Lunar New Year, which generally falls in late January or early to mid February.

Traditionally, positive Chinese characters such as 'happiness', 'peace', and 'family' are painted on their sides.

But in recent years their inscriptions have become increasingly political. In Chinese homes across the country, this new year will be ushered in by concepts including 'democracy', 'freedom', 'equality', 'rule of law', and 'patriotism'.

The devices change colour to create different patterns and at one point, the sky is ablaze with a mix of multi-coloured balls

In the process, musicians from the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra provided a rousing soundtrack

In other news: Dozens of citizens celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival on Saturday across China - above, half-naked men perform firework dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival in the Guangdong Province of China

Chinese lanterns are traditionally made out of paper and silk and coloured red to symbolise luck and happiness - seen above hanging from an archway in the Jiangsu Province of China