Chinese Lantern

You may have no idea about Chinese lanterns. Chinese paper lanterns, originating from Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), mainly were used as lamps in ancient China. A variety of crafts were used in their making such as Chinese paintings, paper-cutting, and pricking and seaming and many kinds of materials such as bamboo, wood, wheat-straw and metal were used in their manufacture. Paper and silk were the major materials.（A lantern tour to China.）

History

Started from the East Han Dynasty (25 A.D. - 220 A.D.), Chinese lantern reached its peak during Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. - 907 A.D.) and Song Dynasty (960 A.D. -1279 A.D.).

Originally, monks used lanterns on the twelfth day of the first lunar month in their worship of the Buddha. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Emperor Liu Zhuang was a Buddhist and he ordered the inhabitants of the imperial palace and citizens to light lanterns to worship the Buddha just as the monks did. Later, this custom gradually became a grand festival among common people. During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), people made lanterns to celebrate their peaceful life while the splendid illuminations symbolized and celebrated the prosperous, strong and powerful country. From then on, lighting lanterns became popular in the country.

Development

Originally, Chinese people hung lanterns in front of their doors to drive away evil spirits. As to today, the lantern has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture, playing an important role in celebrations and ceremonies.

Two of the most famous styles of lanterns

Two of the most famous styles of lanterns come from the capital Beijing in North China, and Suzhou in East China.

Beijing palace lanterns

The best traditional Beijing palace lanterns require rosewood as the skeleton and traditional-patterned thin silk or glass as covering. Besides lighting function, the palace lanterns are also valuable collections of Chinese lantern collectors. Now they are hung in halls or other spacious rooms to add to the antique atmosphere.(Beijing tour)

Suzhou-style lanterns

In contrast with Beijing palace lanterns, Suzhou-style lanterns usually have a rustic flavor. They boast a time-honored history and a delicate beauty. Early in the Song Dynasty, lanterns developed into an individual crafts industry in the area. Suzhou lanterns have various appearances, ranging from bird, flower, and fish to pavilion, terrace, tower and even human figures. Suzhou lanterns are famous for their rich color, refined processing, ingenious structure, exquisite sculpture and grand magnificence.(Suzhou tour)

Today, more types of lanterns appear in festivals apart from the traditional ones. More modern technology is used on making lanterns, so people can see lanterns with music, with colorful bulbs inside and so on. The shapes of the modern lanterns have changed a lot too. These shapes can be cartoon characters, Chinese zodiac animals and the makers can even involve the computer games, which give visitors a different new and fresh impression.

On Lantern Festival, people many people love the ‘lantern riddles’ most. Anyone who knows the answer to the riddles on the lanterns will get a small gift as award. The activity attracts people because of the riddle itself rather than the gift. Do you want to have a try about the riddles on the lanterns? So traveling to China can be a good choice! 

This article is from www.chinatourcenter.