Lantern Festival

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Lantern Festival

Applicant: Yongchang County, Gansu Province

Item No.: 978

Project No.: Ⅹ - 71

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Gansu Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Yongchang County, Gansu Province

Protection unit: Yongchang Cultural Center

Brief introduction of Lantern Festival

Applicant: Yongchang County, Gansu Province

Lantern Festival, also known as "Shangyuan Festival", "Yuanxi Festival" and "Lantern Festival", is a traditional Chinese festival, which is popular all over the country. In China, the first month of the lunar calendar is Yuanyue, which is called "Xiao" in ancient times. Therefore, the 15th day of the first full moon in a year is called "Yuanxiao Festival".

Since the Han Dynasty, China has been lighting lanterns on the Lantern Festival, which has gradually developed into a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, this custom became more popular. The sentence "fire trees and silver flowers, star bridges and iron locks open" describes the grand occasion of the Lantern Festival in Chang'an. In the Ming Dynasty, the Lantern Festival has become an important part of people's life, and it will enjoy lanterns continuously for 10 days. In the Qing Dynasty, the Lantern Festival is a folk festival enjoyed by all the people, Fireworks and firecrackers will be set off during the lantern watching activities.

There are also some traditional activities in the Lantern Festival: one is "guessing lantern riddles", also known as "playing lantern riddles", which first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The riddles are to be guessed and the winner will be awarded; the other is to eat yuanxiao, which was originally known as "fuyuanzi", also known as "tangtuan" or "Tangyuan", a spherical food made of glutinous rice flour. It is filled with stuffing and eaten after being cooked in water, Eating Lantern Festival symbolizes the family reunion, harmony and happiness. The Lantern Festival in some places also has the custom of "walking through all kinds of diseases", also known as "baking all kinds of diseases" and "dispersing all kinds of diseases". People walk together on the Lantern Festival, or cross the bridge with each other, or go to the suburbs, symbolizing the elimination of diseases and disasters, peace and prosperity. Since modern times, traditional performances such as playing dragon lantern, playing lion, walking on stilts, rowing dry boat, twisting Yangko, playing Taiping drum and so on have been added to the Lantern Festival activities, which makes the Lantern Festival have a new development in the inheritance.

The Lantern Festival, which has a history of more than 2000 years, is not only popular on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also highly valued in overseas Chinese communities. In addition to the Han nationality, Manchu, Korean, Hezhe, Mongolian, Daur, Ewenki, Oroqen, Hui, Xibo, Tibetan, Bai, Naxi, Miao, Yao, she, Zhuang, Buyi, Li, Gelao and other ethnic minorities also celebrate the Lantern Festival, with their own characteristics.

According to Yongchang County annals, in 1370, the people of maobula village introduced the lantern from the capital city to Yongchang, Gansu Province. The map used for lighting activities is drawn on a piece of white cloth woven with directions marked on it. When lighting, select an open space in the center of the village and plant poles according to the lamp spectrum. The poles are 2 meters high, 19 in each row and 19 in each row. There are 361 poles in total. The spacing is generally 2 meters and they are arranged in a square. The main pole in the middle of the main stadium is 8 to 10 meters high, with large lanterns hanging on it, and 360 small lanterns hanging on the other poles, symbolizing the 360 days of the lunar calendar. There is also a colorful door and lantern barrier at the entrance and exit. The poles are connected by ropes according to the atlas. The lantern watchers can only follow the prescribed route, turn left and right, and circle the maze. It's very interesting. "Dengshan" is set on the opposite side of the lamp field, with 360 lanterns arranged into different blessing words. The Yangko troupe dances along the way when the lights are on. The performances include old ox cart, lion dance, dry boat dance, dragon dance, bear dance, festival dance and so on. The singing style is rough and forthright, and the singing is deeply influenced by local opera.

It is rooted in the traditional Chinese culture and shows strong local characteristics, which has a certain reference value in the study of folklore and northwest local culture. With the rapid development of modern society and economy, the Yongchang light custom, which belongs to the category of traditional folk culture, is under the impact of foreign culture, strong culture and popular culture. It is on the verge of extinction and is in urgent need of protection and rescue.

Chinese PinYin : Yuan Xiao Jie Yong Chang Xian Wan Zi Deng Su