Every year in the game Genshin Impact, Lantern Rite is a yearly occurrence. It’s a celebratory festival celebrating the current animal on that year’s Lunar Calendar.

In the city of Liyue (which is the host city for every Lantern Rite), all the residents come together to make Xiao lanterns to hang up around Liyue Harbor. Lantern Rite is a five-day festival, as said in the lore, and is an in-game event where players can join the event.

“Lantern Rite is a festival in Liyue celebrated on the first full moon of the year and lasts for five days. It is said to be the biggest of Liyue’s festivals.”

Asides from the Xiao lanterns, Liyue Harbor has a large statue to commemorate the years lunar calendar animal. This year, it’s the year of the Horse! Along with the Lantern Rite celebration, the game gives us players a free four-star selection from Liyue’s many designated four-star characters! And with Lantern Rite always comes a new five-star. Following the theme of the horse, this years Lantern Rite five-star’s name is Zibai, the White-Horse Adeptus!

Yet besides Lantern Rite, the version that the 2026 Lantern Rite released in was version 6.3. That version focuses on another area called Nod-Krai and the version focuses on Moon Goddess, Columbina.

Ironic how Columbina’s a Moon Goddess and Zibai is closely linked to the moon, haha.

Now, once again–Happy Lantern Rite and Lunar New Year!