Starts the countdown. In just over a month, visitors will be able to discover a Foucault course totally transposed on the banks of the Yangtze. The metamorphosis has begun on the site.
Behind the massive black tarpaulins that have surrounded the Cours Foucault for two weeks, nothing filters out. Almost. Out of sight, several hundred Chinese craftsmen and workers are busy staging the 5th edition of the Lantern Festival. “A total immersion on the banks of the Yangtze” that the producer Patrice Gausserand wants to be “exceptional”: “The central alley of Cours Foucault made me think of a river. The Yangtze, the longest in China, was then established my imagination because the 5 hectares of the site allow me to think big. “
The scenography of this edition has been running through Patrice Gausserand’s head for more than six months. “Once all the decorations are in place, we won’t know where we are anymore,” he promises, still not wanting to reveal everything. The transformation of the site is taking place gradually and on schedule.
The Nine Dragons washbasin is made entirely of porcelain tableware.
On the spot, the craftsmen set about assembling the giant lanterns, these “monumental” pieces, specially designed for this Montauban. “The climate of the last few days has been ideal for working outdoors,” says Nancy Xiang, the festival’s creative workshop manager. The assembly of the various elements is proceeding well “. Like the tower of the Yellow Crane, a” centerpiece “22 m high and 40 m long that should overlook the park.” Assembling the different pieces is the most delicate part. It requires precision so that everything doesn’t fall apart, “she notes.
A little further on, a welder finishes modeling the body of a phoenix, whose endless fire tail will flow along the Yangtze River. “It will be like a kind of red thread,” describes Patrice Gausserand as he climbs the central nave. Up to this imposing sink entirely in porcelain, called The Nine Dragons. By hand, the potters assemble the pieces of crockery that cover the metal structure. The gesture is safe, controlled, flawless.
In total, about 2,500 lanterns are expected to come to life in the next few days, divided into about fifty tables. The indispensable dragons and other pandas, currently kept in the clothing shed of the Marché Gare, will then complete the decorations. The result will be discovered in just over a month.
The challenge of zero kilowatts consumed
This year the Lantern Festival will be totally self-sufficient from an energy point of view. In the current context, Brigitte Barèges and Patrice Gausserand, president of MAG Conseils and producer of the festival, wanted to favor a solution that did not affect the city’s electricity consumption and therefore opted for the installation of two generators of 350 kVA each, compliant with latest environmental standards. They power the entire park and the approximately 80,000 light bulbs installed in the sets. An initiative that will significantly reduce the electricity bill of the festival. An eco-responsible approach that is added to the “zero waste” initiative, launched last year.
