Facts About Chinese Lanterns

China's paper lanterns are more than just decorations. Since 250 B.C. they have silently spoken of births, deaths, social status and approaching danger. For instance, special red lanterns are used for weddings and white lanterns for funerals. Children in China also make lanterns at school and hang riddles on them. Today they have their place as honored guests at ceremonies and festivals.

Originating as far back as 250 B.C., the basic Chinese lantern has remained unchanged in design. The sleeve or frame that surrounds the candle is assembled from pliable bamboo, sturdy redwood or inexpensive wire. To soften the harsh light of a naked flame, thin or oiled paper, gauze or silk fabric covers the frame to create the familiar flattering, soft glow. In contrast to the simplicity of the standard spherical lantern, the zouma deng lantern was designed during the Song dynasty (960-1279), an era of innovation that included developments in type printing, gunpowder and paper currency. The zouma deng resembles a miniature pavilion with upturned eaves. An inner wire shaft is fitted with paper vanes, and the heat current generated from the flame rotates the shaft, setting a paper cutout in a charming merry-go-round motion, hence the name, since zouma deng means "roundabout."

The placement and color of lanterns serve as a vital communication link in these tremendously communal residential areas. Since red connotes vitality and energy at its maximal state, a red lantern placed outside a doorway tells of a birth or marriage. A blue lantern, representing declining energy or sickness, indicates there is illness in the household. And white signifies energy eliminated or death, so a white sash draped across the top of the doorway, flanked by two white lanterns announces that the family is in mourning.

Simple lanterns are used in everyday life in China: to light the way home at night and to hang on boats or outside shops and homes. More elaborate lanterns are made for two major holidays in China: Lantern Festival and Mid-autumn Festival. The lanterns for Mid-autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, come in fanciful shapes such as animals, fruits, and flowers. The lanterns for Lantern Festival often depicting historic or patriotic scenes painted on silk Many have riddles on them, and part of the festivities is guessing the riddles and writing poetry.

The Chinese have celebrated Lantern Festival since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-221 AD). Like all Chinese festivals, Lantern Festival follows an agricultural cycle. Just as the Chinese New Year comes during the winter, when farmers are unable to work in the fields, Lantern Festival marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year season when farmers begin preparing for spring planting. The festival marks the return of light and spring. Some Chinese refer to the festival as Shang Yuan and Xiao Nian, the minor new year.

Lanterns are exhibited in markets throughout the Chinese New Year season which lasts for about two weeks. On the 15th day of the Chinese new year, people all over the country make lanterns from wood, bamboo, silk, and rice paper and carry them through the streets for the Lantern Festival, which marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year season. After processing through the streets, participants assemble in a public square to present and share their lanterns. Later they wait for the long paper and silk dragon to come out of hibernation. The dragon is popular during the New Year’s festivities because it symbolizes good fortune.

Lantern Festivals

Lantern Festival is also popularly referred to as Chinese Valentine’s Day. Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar Year, the Lantern Festival takes place under a full moon, and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The Lantern Festival dates back to shrouded legends of the Han Dynasty over 2000 years ago.

Legend of the Lantern Festival's Origin
In one such legend, the Jade Emperor in Heaven was so angered at a town for killing his favorite goose, that he decided to destroy it with a storm of fire. However, a good-hearted fairy heard of this act of vengeance, and warned the people of the town to light lanterns throughout the town on the appointed day. The townsfolk did as they were told, and from the Heavens, it looked as if the village was ablaze. Satisfied that his goose had already been avenged, the Jade Emperor decided not to destroy the town. From that day on, people celebrated the anniversary of their deliverance by carried lanterns of different shapes and colors through the streets on the first full moon of the year, providing a spectacular backdrop for lion dances, dragon dances, and fireworks.

The Modern Lantern Festival
While the Lantern Festival has changed very little over the last two millennia, technological advances have made the celebration moreand more complex and visually stimulating. Indeed, the festival as celebrated in some places (such as Taipei, Taiwan) can put even the most garish American Christmas decorations to shame. They often sport unique displays of light that leave the viewer in awe.

Master craftsman will construct multicolored paper lanterns in the likeness of butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies, and many other animals; these accentuate the more common, red, spherical lanterns. Brilliantly-lit floats and mechanically driven light displays draw the attention of the young and old alike. Sometimes, entire streets are blocked off, with lanterns mounted above and to the sides, creating a hallway of lamps. Some cities in North China even make lanterns from blocks of ice! And just as in days gone by, the billion-watt background sets the scene for dragon and lion dances, parades, and other festivities.

Yuan Xiao and Tang Yuan
Yuan Xiao and Tang Yuan are balls of glutinous rice, sometimes rolled around a filling of sesame, peanuts, vegetable, or meat. Tang Yuan are often cooked in red-bean or other kinds of soup. The round shape symbolizes wholeness and unity.