Each year, LEGO celebrates the Lunar New Year with specially themed sets that capture the essence of the occasion. In 2021, during the Year of the Ox, LEGO released a Spring Festival set set in a traditional garden. Fast forward to 2024, the Year of the Dragon, and LEGO delighted fans with the Auspicious Dragon set, designed to resemble a bronze statue on a stand.
LEGO Spring Festival Trotting Lantern
- $129.95 at Amazon
- $129.99 at LEGO Store
In 2025, as we welcome the Year of the Snake, LEGO is set to release three new sets. The first introduces a Lucky Cat. The second, titled Good Fortune, is a pastiche of Chinese iconography featuring elements like a decorative fan, a calligraphy pen and scroll, and golden ingots. The third and most luxurious set, which we have built and photographed for this review, is the LEGO Spring Festival Trotting Lantern, a detailed replica of a traditional trotting lantern. This set goes beyond its initial appearance, embodying the spirit of the Lunar New Year with its intricate design.
We Build The LEGO Trotting Lantern
98 Images
Before delving into the build process, let's appreciate the exterior of the Trotting Lantern. This model is a masterpiece of detail and extravagance. Every part of the set is adorned with decorative elements – from the red lanterns hanging from the buttresses to the gold detailing on the walls' borders, and even the walls themselves, which feature a depiction of open sky and clouds framed by rocks.
Constructing the Trotting Lantern involves a meticulous process of layering. You begin by assembling the core lantern, then add layers of intricate details, and finally, enhance it with even more decorative elements. This method builds anticipation and delight, reminiscent of the now-retired LEGO Carousel, where each new layer added a sense of wonder about what would come next.
Traditional trotting lanterns, originating from the Han Dynasty, were powered by oil lamps that projected silhouettes and rotated via heat-generated propellers. LEGO's designers have ingeniously recreated this effect. A vertical rod activates a light brick, illuminating the lantern's base with a yellow glow. This light shines through a clear piece with a black-lined image, projecting it onto the lantern's side. Rotating the rod allows the image to move around the lantern.
The packaging suggests projecting the image onto a wall or surface, but in practice, the projection is often blurry and unclear. It's puzzling why LEGO would emphasize this feature, as it not only underperforms but also deviates from the original lantern's purpose.
The upper section of the lantern opens to reveal three hidden dioramas: a food stall serving dumplings, a decorations stall, and a shadow puppet theater. These surprises are cleverly concealed within the lantern's cylinder, playing on the viewer's perception of space. The set includes five minifigures, one adorned with a snake costume, along with accessories like a plate of dumplings, a red envelope, a shadow puppet, and chopsticks.
Choosing to purchase this set may hinge on your interest in its features. If you're drawn to the rotating, illuminated effect, you might find it underwhelming and not worth the price. However, if you seek a visually stunning piece that houses detailed, miniature scenes within an elaborately designed container, the LEGO Trotting Lantern is a magnificent tribute to the Lunar New Year. It's recommended for ages 9 and up, though its complexity suggests an 18+ build.
For more options, explore our selections of the best LEGO sets overall, the best Marvel LEGO sets, and the most expensive LEGO sets.
The LEGO Trotting Lantern, set number 80116, is priced at $129.99 and comprises 1295 pieces. It is available now at Amazon and the LEGO Store.
