LEGO celebrates the Lunar New Year annually with themed sets. 2021 (Year of the Ox) featured a Spring Festival garden scene, while 2024 (Year of the Dragon) offered the LEGO Auspicious Dragon, a bronze statue replica. 2025, the Year of the Snake, brings three new sets: a Lucky Cat, a Good Fortune set featuring Chinese iconography (decorative fan, calligraphy tools, gold ingots), and the magnificent Trotting Lantern, the focus of this review.
LEGO Spring Festival Trotting Lantern
$129.95 at Amazon | $129.99 at LEGO Store
This traditional trotting lantern replica is far more intricate than initially apparent. The level of detail is extravagant; every inch boasts decorative elements – from hanging red lanterns and gold detailing to beautifully rendered sky and cloud scenes on the lantern walls.
Construction is a layered process: build the core lantern, then add details, and finally, even more intricate details. This creates a delightful anticipation, reminiscent of the now-retired LEGO Carousel. The sheer amount of decorative layering is truly impressive.
Historically, trotting lanterns (dating back to the Han Dynasty) used oil lamps to project silhouettes. LEGO cleverly incorporates a similar effect: an upright rod activates a light brick, illuminating a clear piece with a black-lined image, which rotates when the rod is turned.
While the packaging highlights wall projection, the image is unfortunately blurry. This feature, ineffective and historically inaccurate, feels like a missed opportunity.
The lantern's upper section opens to reveal three charming dioramas: a dumpling stall, a decorations stall, and a shadow puppet theater. This clever design creates a delightful surprise, concealing intricate scenes within the lantern’s cylinder. The set includes five minifigures (one with a snake costume), dumplings, a red envelope, a shadow puppet, and chopsticks.
The set’s value depends on your priorities. While the light-up, rotating mechanism isn't groundbreaking, the aesthetic beauty and hidden dioramas are exceptional. This stunning set is a wonderful Lunar New Year celebration, befitting its 18+ build complexity despite its 9+ age rating.
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LEGO Trotting Lantern, Set #80116, retails for $129.99 (1295 pieces) and is available now at Amazon and the LEGO Store.
