The 40th Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Art Festival opened Thursday in suburban Beijing, enchanting visitors with dazzling ice sculptures and stunning light effects. This year’s theme, “Legends of Longqing Gorge: A Tribute to the Classics”, celebrates four decades of ice-and-snow cultural tourism.   Inspired by the classic animated film “Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven”, the festival transforms the ice-covered canyon into a fantastical world, offering an immersive winter experience. Covering 500,000 square meters, nearly half the area features intricate ice and lantern displays.   “The Monkey King and various deities, all carved in ice, are truly a feast for the eye,” said tourist Li Yaolin. Festival organisers created 20 large ice structures and 151 smaller sculptures using 5,000 cubic metres of ice, and this year introduced a mountain laser show against the natural backdrop, according to Wen Mingyun, director of Gorge’s Scenic Area.   The festival, which began in 1987, runs until March, with free entry for visitors born that year.   Source: China Central Television