TORONTO, Aug.17 (Xinhua) -- 2018 Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) kicked off here Friday with all-new and more diverse programming than ever before.

In celebration of the 2018 Canada-China Year of Tourism,the CNE comes to light this year with a spectacular indoor lantern festival, which features "larger-than-life exotic lanterns, stories-high in stature" creating a luminous kaleidoscope of colors.

Visitors are in for a treat as the biggest indoor lantern festival in the world will be on display for the duration of this year's 18-day-long fair.

The festival includes a stunning series of 17 illuminated sculpture installations that create a kaleidoscope of colors. The designs of the picturesque Chinese lanterns are based on legends and myths associated with the ancient Silk Road,creating an exploratory experience for all.

The amazing displays were created by 90 Chinese artists using 4,000 meter of synthetic silk, 55 meters of steel, and arrived in eight shipping containers that traveled from China to Canada.