LEGO's 2025 Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake) Collection: A Detailed Look at the Trotting Lantern
LEGO celebrates the Lunar New Year annually with themed sets. Following 2021's Spring Festival garden and 2024's Auspicious Dragon, 2025 brings three new sets commemorating the Year of the Snake. This review focuses on the most elaborate: a meticulously detailed replica of a traditional trotting lantern.
LEGO Spring Festival Trotting Lantern: More Than Meets the Eye
Priced at $129.95 on Amazon and $129.99 at the LEGO Store, this 1295-piece set is available now. While other sets include a Lucky Cat and a "Good Fortune" scene featuring Chinese iconography, the trotting lantern stands out. Its initial appearance belies the intricate detail within.
A Layered Building Experience
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The construction process is a layered delight. Building progresses from the core lantern to increasingly intricate details, offering a satisfying sense of anticipation and discovery reminiscent of the now-retired LEGO Carousel. The exterior is richly adorned with red lanterns, gold detailing, and a sky-and-clouds scene depicted on the walls.
Mechanical Features and Hidden Dioramas
Historically, trotting lanterns used oil lamps to project silhouettes. This LEGO version incorporates a light brick and rotating mechanism to create a similar effect, though the projected image is somewhat blurry. While the advertised wall projection is underwhelming, the lantern's true magic lies within.
The upper tier opens to reveal three charming miniature scenes: a dumpling stall, a decorations stall, and a shadow puppet theater. This cleverly concealed detail adds an element of surprise and visual intrigue. The set also includes five minifigures (one with a snake costume), dumplings, a red envelope, a shadow puppet, and chopsticks.
A Stunning Lunar New Year Celebration
The set's appeal hinges on your priorities. While the mechanical light feature might not justify the price alone, the aesthetic beauty and hidden dioramas create a captivating and impressive display. Despite its 9+ age rating, the complexity and detail suggest a more mature building experience. It's a truly stunning celebration of the Lunar New Year.
For more LEGO reviews, 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 #80116) is available now at [Amazon](available now at Amazon) and the LEGO Store.
