3,000 candles lit in celebration of Canberra, Nara sister city ties

Kyodo -- Oct 27

Thousands of candles were lit on Saturday in Australia's national capital to celebrate 25 years of sister city ties between Canberra and Japan's ancient capital of Nara.

Volunteers lit 3,000 candles in the Canberra Nara Peace Park, creating a scene reminiscent of Nara's Tokae Lantern Festival.

Saturday's illumination display was part of the annual Canberra Nara Candle Festival, which also sees locals enjoy Japanese food and culture.

In celebration of the silver anniversary, 1,000 candles were used to depict a deer, a love heart and a kangaroo to symbolize the relationship between Nara and Canberra.