Explore China's Lantern Festival: A Symphony of Light and Culture

The Chinese Lantern Festival is one of the most unique cultural events, attracting millions of tourists every year. With thousands of colorful lanterns lighting up the night sky, the festival brings a sparkling space, full of colors and profound traditional meanings. Let's explore this unique beauty in the upcoming journey!

1. Introduction to Chinese Lantern Festival

Colorful Chinese lantern festival on Lunar New Year (Photo source: Collected)

The Chinese Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival, is one of the biggest traditional events in Chinese culture, taking place on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the Lunar New Year festivities. This is an occasion for people to gather with their families, enjoy typical dishes, admire the sparkling lanterns and participate in fun and exciting activities.

The festival is not only an occasion for Chinese people to honor cultural values, but also a time for them to pray for a new year of peace, prosperity and good luck. The brilliance of the lanterns, symbolizing the future and good wishes, creates a mysterious and attractive atmosphere, attracting millions of tourists to participate in this festival every year.

2. The meaning of the Chinese lantern festival

The beauty of Chinese culture at the lantern festival (Photo source: Collected)

The Chinese Lantern Festival is not only a cultural event but also carries profound messages about transition. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China, marks the beginning of spring. The Chinese Lantern Festival officially concludes this series of holidays on January 15. After this holiday, all taboos of the New Year are no longer respected, and New Year decorations are removed to usher in a new year with new opportunities. Lanterns are hung with the hope of a bright future, helping people let go of the unhappy things of the old year and welcome the good things and luck in the new year.

3. Origin of the Chinese Lantern Festival

Giant lanterns, diverse in shape (Photo source: Collected)

The Chinese Lantern Festival has its origins in many legends and folk tales. One of the most famous stories is about celebrating Buddhism. During the reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Ming of Han, a great supporter of Buddhism, heard that monks often lit lanterns to pay respect to Buddha on the 15th day of the first lunar month. He decided to have all temples and royal palaces light up on this day. This custom gradually became a grand festival and spread throughout China.

Another story tells that on this day, the Jade Emperor's favorite crane was killed by villagers, making the Jade Emperor angry and decided to burn down the village. However, the Jade Emperor's daughter warned the villagers and a wise man advised them to hang red lanterns to fool the Jade Emperor. Since then, the tradition of hanging red lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has been maintained for many generations.

4. Interesting activities when participating in the Chinese lantern festival

4.1. Admire the sparkling beauty of the festival

Colorful scene at Chinese lantern festival (Photo source: Collected)

When participating in the festival, you will admire thousands of lanterns of all shapes and colors hung everywhere, from houses, parks, shopping centers to busy streets. Red is the main color, symbolizing luck and fortune, meticulously handcrafted by artisans.

Lanterns are not only works of art but also have profound meanings. The light from the lantern symbolizes “illuminating the future”, wishing for a smooth and lucky new year. In particular, in Chinese, the word “lantern” (灯 dēng) sounds similar to the word (丁 dīng), which means “a baby is born”, so in Taiwan, hanging lanterns is also a wish for couples to have children soon.

In addition, major lantern festivals such as the Qinhe International Lantern Festival in Nanjing or the Yuyuan Lantern Festival in Shanghai attract thousands of tourists thanks to their unique lantern designs, vividly depicting traditional symbols such as flowers, birds, animals or famous buildings.

4.2. Experience releasing sky lanterns

Meaningful sky lantern releasing activity at the Chinese lantern festival (Photo source: Collected)

The activity of releasing sky lanterns is an experience not to be missed. Participants write their wishes on the lanterns and release them into the sky. The whole sky is lit up by the sparkling lanterns, sending wishes for happiness, peace and success. This is a meaningful and poetic moment in the festival.

4.3. Enjoy lion and dragon dance performances

Attractive lion and dragon dances at the Chinese lantern festival (Photo source: Collected)

Lion and dragon dances are indispensable performances in the Chinese Lantern Festival. Traditionally, lions symbolize courage and strength, and are believed to ward off evil spirits and protect people and crops. Dragons are symbols of prosperity and good fortune, representing the unique spirit and culture of the Chinese people. The colorful performances, combined with the lively sounds of drums and gongs, create a bustling and joyful atmosphere.

4.4. Eating banh troi tau

Banh troi tau - Traditional food in Chinese lantern festival (Photo source: Collected)

Floating balls are a traditional must-have during the Chinese Lantern Festival. Made from glutinous rice flour and filled with sweet fillings such as sesame, red beans or peanuts, they are cooked in fragrant sugar water. With their plump round shape, floating balls symbolize family reunion and wholeness. Northern Chinese people often call this dish yuanxiao, which also means bringing good luck and happiness throughout the year.

Discover the sparkling beauty of the Chinese Lantern Festival , where the brilliant lights illuminate the space, creating a colorful picture and wonderful cultural significance. Let Vietravel lead you through this journey, with unique traditional beauty experiences and create unforgettable memories.

Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/-le-hoi-den-long-trung-quoc-v16213.aspx