LEGO continues to impress this year with another Spring Festival showstopper that is bound to be the centre of attraction wherever it is placed. Introducing LEGO’s Trotting Lantern 80116, a vibrant twist on the traditional Chinese lantern. Also known as a “revolving lantern” or in Chinese “走马灯“, the traditional lantern has images projected by a candlelight and rotate because of the hot hair rising above the flame.
LEGO Trotting Lantern – a CNY Showstopping Centrepiece at Home
How cool is it that LEGO has taken inspiration from this classic, creating this stunning, intricate and very fun set? With 1295 pieces, it is recommended for ages 9 and up – a build that requires a bit of time and effort, but is totally worth it in the end.
Building the Lantern
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Firstly off, let’s talk packaging because it came as a surprise! This is our first LEGO set with paper packaging! All the bags were made of paper instead of plastic. Lego has been actively switching to recyclable paper-based bags, so kudos to the world’s largest toy company for this eco-friendly move! This will make a real difference!
The set came in 9 bags, together with some very creative and thoughtful stickers and 2 building manuals.
Now, onto the minifigures. We’ve got five: two adults, two kids, and a person in a snake costume. They’re all decked out in festive attire, and my son insists that the person in costume is the cool, fun uncle, and definitely not the boring dad – can’t argue with that!
They come with an array accessories, including a tray of plump delicious-looking dumplings, a bowl, chopsticks, a red packet (Angbao), and a pair of golden scissors. There are also several statuettes for the shadow puppet show.
The stickers were beautifully designed as well. They included Chinese New Year decorations featuring some square designs and a couplet, the dumpling food stall signboard and pricelist, plus a sticker for the puppet show which depicted Chang’E flying with a Lego astronaut. Playful but full of tradition and festive spirit!
Attention to Details
As we built the set, we marveled at the attention to detail—not just in design, but in the way joints and pieces fit together. A standout feature is the lighted brick, which, once the set is complete, rotates inside the lantern and projects various switchable images on the window panels at the base. Bright enough to be seen even in daylight, it’s one of the highlights that had us all wowed!
The top section of the lantern opens up to reveal a flurry of fun activities and scenes. There’s a dumpling stall, a decorations stall, and a shadow theatre. They might seem a bit random, but they represent various aspects of Chinese New Year celebrations—from festive decorations that you would decorate your home with, to yummy food prepared for family and friends and entertainment (the shadow puppet theatre definitely beats the latest OLED TV for a Chinese New Year set!) that is perfect for filling those awkward pauses in conversation!
The LEGO Trotting Lantern 80116 is complete! It takes pride of place on the display cabinet this festive season and is a great conversation starter, fun for all ages and is a wonderful Spring Festival set that will be the centrepiece for this family’s Chinese New Year decorations!
