February 24, 2018

Illuminating Traditions: The History of Lanterns and the Lantern Festival

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

It was my first time experiencing the Lantern Festival (元宵节). This year, it was held in Chiayi. The place was really huge, and I felt pretty tired walking all around, but it was definitely worth it. We walked over 5 km, admiring everything, and my family wondered how I had so much energy being 8 months pregnant. The lanterns were incredibly beautiful, especially the ones with a love theme.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. In ancient times, lanterns were very simple, and only the emperor could have large ones. The first Lantern Festival was held in 1990. The Tourism Bureau decided to combine the major lantern festival with the Sky Lantern Festival and Yanshui Firework Festival, which are both very old customs. The festival originally took place at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, but now it is known and celebrated all over the island.

There are three types of lanterns: hanging lanterns, floating lanterns, and flying lanterns. Usually, a month before Lunar New Year, many shops and homes hang lanterns everywhere. Traditionally, lanterns are red and oval-shaped, decorated with red and gold tassels. The red color symbolizes warmth, happiness, and good fortune. Sometimes you can also see lanterns in different colors. Each color has its own meaning: pink represents romance, white represents good health, green represents growth, orange represents money, yellow represents good luck in school, and light blue and purple represent making dreams come true.

Flying Lanterns are also a part of the Lantern Festival, but if you want to see them, the only place they are released is Pingxi. Floating lanterns come in different forms, and some are not used during Lunar New Year. Water lanterns, in particular, can be seen as a celebration of the Ghost Month.

The history of lanterns dates back more than 2000 years to when Buddhism was growing in China. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty noticed that Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the 15th day of the first lunar month. He ordered all households, temples, and the imperial palace to light lanterns on that evening. Over time, it developed into a folk custom.


lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan
 
lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan 


lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

There are several legends associated with this festival. One legend tells of ancient times when people worshiped the God of Heaven - Taiyi. They believed that the God could control the destiny of the human world. During that time, Chinese emperors ordered ceremonies each year to ask the God for good weather and health for the people.

Another legend is about Tianguan, the Taoist God of Good Fortune. His birthday falls on the 15th day of the first month. People believed that the God enjoyed entertainment, so they prepared various activities and prayed for good fortune.

Yet another legend speaks of a beautiful crane that flew to earth from heaven. Unfortunately, it was killed by some villagers upon landing. The Jade Emperor of Heaven became angry because it was his favorite crane. He planned to destroy the village with a storm on the 15th day of the new year. However, the emperor's daughter warned the villagers of his plans. In response, people hung lanterns, set up fires, and exploded fireworks on the 14th to 16th day to make the Emperor think the village was on fire.
In the early days, young people would always go out on the streets in the hope of finding love. The brightest lanterns were seen as symbols of good luck and hope.

The second part of the lantern exhibition was near the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. The floating lanterns on Zhishan Lake were truly beautiful.


lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

lantern festival, chiayi, taiwan

But Chiayi is not the only place where you can see the Lantern Festival. The other day, my husband's cousin had to go to Nantou, so we went with him. The place wasn't very big, but we still found some lantern decorations. We also saw a colorful show on the water.

lantern festival, nantou, taiwan

lantern festival, nantou, taiwan

lantern festival, nantou, taiwan

lantern festival, nantou, taiwan


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