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Lantern Festivals in AsiaBe prepared to be dazzled by the passionate skill of lantern artists around Asia. Lantern Festivals fall on the fifteenth day of the first month of the Lunar calendar. It marks the end of the Lunar New Year festivities. One of much folklore tells that townspeople used torches to aid in their search for celestial spirits seen flying in the sky which gave to the many shapes and sizes of lanterns seen to date. Modern day Lantern Festivals are celebrated in many countries in Asia, such as Japan, Taiwan, Singapore etc. On the night of the festival, decorative lanterns of every imagination can be seen carried by children or adorn temples and streets. Additionally, Tainan Yanshui in South of Taiwan elevates the visual display with explosion of firecrackers to thank gods for blessings while Taipei Pinghsi launches tens of thousands of sky lanterns lining up the sky with twinkling wishes from spectators. Enter for a chance to win a trip for two to the Taiwan Lantern Festival!
The Origin of LanternsThe legend has it that two thousands years ago during the Han Dynasty when Buddhism was introduced to China, people were able to see gods and deities dance exquisitely under the soft moonlight on full moon nights. However, in one year, a cloud suddenly came and hid the gods, producing a commotion in the people below, who each lit up torches to find the figures of their gods. Ever since, this custom has been passed down from generation to generation as people lit up paper lanterns on the first full moon of every year to watch “the show of the gods”, and eventually it was named the Lantern Festival by the ancient Chinese. Celebrating the "Little New Year"The Lantern Festival is also called "Little New Year", being the first full moon night of the year, as well as the final climax of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. Activities such as lantern-carrying, solving riddles on the lanterns, as well as setting Sky Lanterns into the air are among the most popular festivities in the Chinese communities around the world. Japan and Korea also celebrate the Lantern Festival on the 15th of January in the Lunar year. Sky LanternsAlso called Kongming Lantern (as it was invented by Kongming, a famous sage from the Three Kingdoms period in the Chinese history), the Sky Lantern is said to be the ancestor of all hot air balloons. Initially, sky lanterns were used to as a signalling method to communicate military information, but eventually evolved into a festive device through which people made wishes and sought blessings. Evolution of Modern Lantern ArtsIn the modern society, lanterns have become a popular folk art for collection and appreciation. They are often used during festivities, especially the Lantern Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Taiwanese people are of the earlier groups that developed the tradition into modern arts and also expanded it into a tourism attraction in promoting folk arts and culture to people around the world. China also promoted lantern arts in the ‘90s by hosting festivals in more than 40 cities, making lantern art an internationally renowned tourist attraction. Quite different from the traditional paper lanterns made of t issue paper and bamboo or wooden sticks, the modern lantern art integrates architectural principles on structure, mechanics, electrical engineering, aesthetics, as well as creativity, and even improves the light source to a projective light to create a more dazzling effect. Attempting to break the limitations of the traditionally defined lantern, more and more larger sized and electric lanterns are being crafted, making the lantern festival an international celebration that simultaneously embraces culture, tourism, and technology. The Asian Lantern CultureThe lantern is not only seen in Chinese cultures but also in places like Japan, Korea, and other parts of East Asia. Due to the strong influence of oriental culture and Buddhism, many temples have the practice of lantern-carrying, lanternlighting, and lantern fairs. |