LEGO's 2025 Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake) Collection: A Detailed Look at the Trotting Lantern
LEGO celebrates the Lunar New Year annually with themed sets. Following the 2021 Ox and 2024 Dragon sets, 2025's Year of the Snake brings three new offerings: a Lucky Cat, a Good Fortune set featuring Chinese iconography, and a magnificent Trotting Lantern (set #80116), the focus of this review.
The Trotting Lantern, a replica of a traditional design, is far more intricate than initially apparent. Its exterior is lavishly detailed, boasting red lanterns, gold accents, and exquisitely rendered cloud and rock scenes on the lantern's walls.
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Construction is a layered process, adding details upon details, creating a satisfying build experience reminiscent of the now-retired LEGO Carousel.
Inspired by historical Han Dynasty lanterns, the model incorporates a light brick and rotating mechanism to project a silhouette image, though this projection is unfortunately blurry in practice. The advertised projection feature, while a nod to the original lantern's design, is not a strong selling point.
The lantern's upper section opens to reveal three charming miniature scenes: a dumpling stall, a decorations stall, and a shadow puppet theater. This hidden detail adds a delightful surprise and enhances the overall playability. The set includes five minifigures, one with a snake costume, plus accessories like dumplings, a red envelope, a shadow puppet, and chopsticks.
The set's value proposition depends on the buyer's priorities. While the light and rotation mechanism may not fully justify the price, the aesthetic appeal and intricately detailed miniature scenes within the lantern make it a stunning Lunar New Year collectible. Despite its 9+ age rating, the complexity suggests it's more suitable for older builders.
The LEGO Trotting Lantern (#80116), containing 1295 pieces, is priced at $129.99 and is currently available at Amazon and the LEGO Store. For more LEGO recommendations, explore our selections of the best LEGO sets overall, the best Marvel LEGO sets, and the most expensive LEGO sets.
