Luminescent lanthanide complexes have been overviewed for advanced photonics applications. Lanthanide(III) ions ($Ln^{3+}$) were encapsulated by the luminescent ligands such as metalloporphyrins, naphthalenes, anthracene, push-pull diketone derivatives and boron dipyrromethene(bodipy). The energy levels of the luminescent ligands were tailored to maintain the effective energy transfer process from luminescent ligands to $Ln^{3+}$ ions for getting a higher optical amplification gain. Also, key parameters for emission enhancement and efficient energy transfer pathways for the sensitization of $Ln^{3+}$ ions by luminescent ligands were investigated. Furthermore, to enhance the optophysical properties of novel luminescent $Ln^{3+}$ complexes, aryl ether-functionalized dendrons as photon antennas have been incorporated into luminescent $Ln^{3+}$ complexes, yielding novel $Ln^{3+}$-cored dendrimer complex such as metalloporphyrins, naphthalenes, and anthracenes bearing the Fr$acute{e}$chet aryl-ether dendrons, namely, ($Er^{3+}-[Gn-Pt-Por]_3$ (terpy), $Er^{3+}-[Gn-Naph]_3$(terpy) and $Er^{3+}-[Gn-An]_3$(terpy)). These complexs showed much stronger near-IR emission bands at 1530 nm, originated from the 4f-4f electronic transition of the first excited state ($^4I_{13/2}$) to the ground state ($^4I_{15/2}$) of the partially filled 4f shell. A significant decrease in the fluorescence of metalloporphyrins, naphthalenes and anthracene ligand were accompanied by a strong increase in the near IR emission of the $Ln^{3+}$ ions. The near IR emission intensities of $Ln^{3+}$ ions in the lanthanide(III)-encapsulated dendrimer complexes were dramatically enhanced with increasing the generation number (n) of dendrons, due to the site-isolation and the light-harvesting(LH) effects. Furthermore, it was first attempted to distinguish between the site-isolation and the light-harvesting effects in the present complexes. In this review, synthesis and photophysical studies of inert and stable luminescent $Ln^{3+}$ complexes will be dealt for the advanced photonics applications. Also, the review will include the exploratory investigation of the key parameters for emission enhancement and the effective energy transfer pathways from luminescent ligands to $Ln^{3+}$ ions with $Ln^{3+}$-chelated prototype complexes.