JAMES CITY — A special exhibit opening this month at Jamestown Settlement will explore the early years of the Jamestown colony’s connection to Asia.
Coinciding with the exhibition will be a unique nighttime illumination experience, the Winter Lantern Festival, which will run throughout the holiday season today through Jan. 4.
The latest museum exhibition, “Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown,” opens at Jamestown Settlement on Saturday as a collaboration between the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation and Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. The exhibit will showcase Chinese porcelain uncovered during excavations of the 1607 James Fort at Historic Jamestowne, along with intact objects on lend from around the world.
The intent of the exhibit is to offer insight into who may have owned the pieces and how they may have been acquired, as well as to highlight the social life of the early 17th-century Virginia elite and the influence of Chinese symbolism and culture. The museum will honor Chinese tradition as it hosts the Winter Lantern Festival in conjunction with the new exhibit.
“Dragon bowl” sherds found at Historic Jamestowne are similar to bowls found in China. (Jamestown Rediscovery)
“Dragon bowl” circa 1572-1620 from Jingdezhen, China. From the collection of Joseph P. Gromacki. (Rob Hunter)
“We are continually looking for new ways to engage the community and felt that the ‘Following the Dragon’ special exhibition gave us an opportunity to host this unique experience that would appeal to regional community visitors and holiday visitors alike,” said Mariruth Leftwich, senior director of museum operations and education at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
The Winter Lantern Festival, first launched in 2018, celebrates Chinese culture and tradition through hundreds of specially lighted and patterned lanterns. This year’s event at Jamestown Settlement will also feature food vendors, live performances from Chinese performers and other family entertainment.
The festival is presented by an organization dedicated to promoting global cross-cultural communication. Since its inception, more than 650,000 people have attended festivals across the country in larger cities such as New York; Atlanta; Orlando, Florida; and Washington, D.C.
Each lantern is made of modern LED lights combined with traditional hand-crafted lantern frames made from small pieces of Chinese silk cloth and steel wire, according to Xiao Tian Falig, CEO of Kaleido Arts & Entertainment Group.
“They are handmade and each contain a bit of history, from Chinese legends and lore to beautiful depictions of nature,” Falig said.
The creator behind the lantern designs is chief artist Yu Wang, whose work has been showcased across America as well as in Canada, Peru, and the United Kingdom.
“The Winter Lantern Festival is truly a cultural bridge between East and West, bringing traditional Chinese culture to Williamsburg through various forms of art,” Wang said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to kick off the holiday season at Jamestown Settlement with a spectacle of light, entertainment and a bit of history that the whole family can enjoy.”
The lanterns, which range from 6 to 30 feet high, depict various figures and designs, including dragons. It takes about an hour to walk through the display.
There will be extended hours at the museum shop and the café as part of the festival, which will run from 5 to 9 p.m. select evenings Thursday through Jan. 4 and requires a special ticket. The porcelain exhibit, meanwhile, is available for viewing during museum hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and included with the price of museum admission.
For ticket information, visit Jamestown Settlement’s website at jyfmuseums.org. Residents of James City and York county and Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, can visit the museum for free with proof of residency.
Brandy Centolanza, bcentolanza@cox.net
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/13/lantern-festival-opens-today-ahead-of-museum-exhibit/
