One of London's most famous lost landmarks will be restored this Christmas as part of a spectacular display of thousands of handmade Chinese lanterns.

Lightopia will illuminate Crystal Palace Park in South East London throughout the Christmas and New Year period, with the centerpiece of the display being a recreation of the Crystal Palace, the famous building which was built for the first world fair, the Great Exhibition of 1851. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. Its memory has been kept alive in the name of the area, with its local English Premier League soccer team named after the place.

After a one-year absence, Lightopia returns to the capital for the second time. For the third year running, there will be a Lightopia display in Manchester's Heaton Park. The festival will also be displayed at the Alton Towers theme park for the first time, one of the United Kingdom's biggest tourist attractions.