The Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, Xiaozhengyue, Yuanxi or Lantern Festival, is one of the traditional festivals in China, which is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called "night" for "night", the first month of the fifteenth is the first full moon in a year, so the first month of the fifteenth for the "Lantern Festival". According to Taoism's "Three Elements", the 15th day of the first month is also known as the "Festival of the Upper Elements". Since ancient times, the Lantern Festival has been dominated by the warm and festive custom of watching lanterns.
The formation of the Lantern Festival has a long process, rooted in the ancient folk custom of turning on the lanterns to pray for blessings. According to general information and folklore, the 15th day of the first lunar month has been emphasized in the Western Han Dynasty, but the 15th day of the first lunar month Lantern Festival is really as a national folk festival after the Han Wei Dynasty. The rise of the custom of lighting on the 15th day of the first lunar month is also related to the spread of Buddhism to the east, the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism flourished, the civil servants and the people in general on the 15th day of the first lunar month, "light for Buddha", the Buddhist lamps and lanterns were spread all over the people from the Tang Dynasty, the Lantern Festival that became a legal thing.
The Lantern Festival is one of the traditional festivals of China and the Chinese Cultural Circle as well as overseas Chinese. The Lantern Festival is characterized by a series of traditional folk activities, such as viewing lanterns, eating dumplings, guessing lantern riddles and setting off fireworks. In addition, the Lantern Festival in many places has added traditional folk performances such as dragon lanterns, lion dances, stilt walkers, rowing dry boats, rice-planting songs, and playing peace drums, etc. In June 2008, the Lantern Festival was selected as one of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritages.
History of the festival
Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China, the formation of the Lantern Festival custom has a long process, rooted in the ancient folk custom of turning on the lanterns to pray for blessings. Open lamps to pray for blessings usually in the first month of the fourteenth night began to "test lamps", the fifteenth night for '"lights'", the folk want to point lamps, also known as "send lamps", in order to sacrifice to the gods and pray for blessings. to sacrifice to the gods and pray for blessings. The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty, for the formation of the Lantern Festival custom also has an important significance to promote, Han Mingdi Yongping years, Han Mingdi in order to promote Buddhism, ordered on the 15th night of the first month in the palace and the temple "lighted lamps to show Buddha". Therefore, the custom of burning lanterns on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month gradually expanded in China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and the later addition of Taoist culture. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Lantern Lighting on the 15th night of the first month became a trend. Emperor Wu of Liang was a firm believer in Buddhism, and his palace was lit up on the 15th day of the first month. Tang Dynasty, closer cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, Buddhism flourished, officials and people generally in the first month of the fifteenth day of the "light for Buddha", Buddhist lights were spread throughout the people. From the Tang Dynasty onwards, the Lantern Festival has become a legal matter.
The 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the Lantern Festival, also known as the Festival of the first yuan, the night of the first yuan, the Festival of Lights. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar, the ancients called the night "night", so the first month of the fifteenth for the "Lantern Festival". With the changes in society and time, the customs of the Lantern Festival have long been changed, but it is still a traditional Chinese folk festival. Lantern Festival in the early process of formation of the festival, only called the first month of the fifteenth, the first half of the first month or the moonrise, after the Sui called the first night or the first night. In the early Tang Dynasty, under the influence of Taoism, it was also called Shangyuan, and only at the end of the Tang Dynasty was it occasionally called the Lantern Festival. But since the Song Dynasty, it was also called Lantern Festival. In the Qing Dynasty, it was called the Lantern Festival. In foreign countries, the Lantern Festival is also known as the Lantern Festival. On the night of the 15th day of the first month, Chinese people have a series of traditional folk activities, such as lanterns, eating dumplings, eating lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, fireworks and so on.
The origin of the Lantern Festival
There are many different stories about the origin of the Lantern Festival, and there are 3 stories that are widely spread.
Legend I
The Lantern Festival was established by Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty to commemorate the "Ping Lu". According to the legend, after the death of Empress Lu, her family conspired to rebel for fear of losing the throne, and Liu Sang, the king of Qi, joined forces with Zhou Bo, a veteran minister of the founding of the country, to quell the "Rebellion of the Lüs". After the rebellion, Liu Heng, the second son of Liu Bang, was crowned Emperor Wen of Han. Deeply impressed by the hard-won peace and prosperity, Emperor Wen designated the 15th day of the first lunar month, the day when the "Rebellion of Zhu Lü" was quelled, as a day of happiness with the people, and every house in the capital was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations to celebrate the occasion. Since then, the 15th day of the first month has become a folk festival celebrated by all the people - the "Lantern Festival".
Legend II
The Lantern Festival, also known as the "Festival of the First Moon", is a celebration of the first full moon of the year. According to Taoism's "Three Elements", the 15th day of the first month of the year is the Upper Elemental Festival, the 15th day of the 7th month is the Middle Elemental Festival, and the 15th day of the 10th month is the Lower Elemental Festival. In charge of the upper, middle and lower three yuan respectively for the sky, earth, human three officials, the heavenly officials happy, so the lanterns should be lit on the Lantern Festival. The custom of burning lanterns and setting off fireworks at the Lantern Festival comes from this saying.
Legend Three
The Lantern Festival originated in the "Torch Festival", the Han Dynasty people in the countryside and fields with torches to drive away insects and beasts, hoping to alleviate insect pests, praying for a good harvest. Until today, people in some areas of southwestern China still make torches out of reed wood or tree branches on the 15th day of the first month, and dance in groups holding up the torches at the head of the fields or sunbathing yards. Since the Sui, Tang and Song dynasties, the festival has been very popular. Tens of thousands of people participated in the songs and dances, from dusk to dawn, to the end of the obscure. When with the changes in society and the times, the Lantern Festival customs and habits have long had a big change, but is still a traditional Chinese folk festival, torches have gradually changed into colored lanterns.
Legend IV
According to literature, the Lantern Festival originated from the Buddhist first month of the fifteenth monks to see the Buddha's relics, lighting lamps to honor the Buddha. The Eastern Han Dynasty, Ming Emperor period, the Ming Emperor advocated Buddhism, heard that the Buddhist monks on the 15th day of the first month to view the Buddha's relics, lighted lamps to honor the Buddha's practice, the night of the order in the palace and temples lighted lamps to honor the Buddha, so that the scholarly people are hanging lamps, which also formed the Lantern Festival. Later, this Buddhist ceremonial festival gradually formed a grand folk festival.
Customs of the Lantern Festival
Han areas, the Lantern Festival is the last night of the Spring Festival, the City God Temple area during the day to organize a variety of activities and programs, the night to engage in the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is not only entertainment, but more importantly, it is usually difficult for women to go out and is also an important occasion to meet a groom. The festive atmosphere and entertainment function given by this festival is very strong.
Viewing lanterns is the most important festival custom of the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival began in the Eastern Han Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Ming, who advocated Buddhism and ordered that on the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month, lanterns be lit in palaces and temples to honor the Buddha. Since then, the Lantern Lantern custom from the court to the folk, every first month of the fifteenth, the family lights and colors, celebrate the Lantern Festival. To the Tang Dynasty, the custom of enjoying the lights further developed into an unprecedented light market. Song Dynasty Lantern Festival is larger, more exquisite than the Tang Dynasty, we read Song lyrics, there are a lot of descriptions about the Lantern Festival and related to the lights, very vivid. We read Song lyrics, in which there are many vivid descriptions of lanterns and lantern-related events. There are magnificent descriptions in Water Margin, and through the text, we can imagine the prosperous scenes of Song people's lives. The lights of the Ming Dynasty were very extravagant, and the time spent watching the lights was longer. Qing Dynasty lantern viewing was also spectacular, "Dream of Red Mansions" is written very carefully, also into the chapter of the scene, the tragic story from the time of celebration, the rhythm and design of the novel to the extreme of Han literature. In addition to releasing lanterns, lantern races are also held. Starting from the Tang Dynasty, a variety of folk arts and cultural activities gradually emerged in the Lantern Festival around the world, such as juggling, twisting rice-planting songs, singing opera, stilt walkers, dancing lions, playing waist drums, bamboo horse clubs, talking about the commentary and so on. Because the Lantern Festival is the most important content of the Lantern Festival celebrations, so the Lantern Festival is also known as the "Festival of Lights".
Guessing lantern riddles, also called "playing lantern riddles", is an activity held during the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles have become an important part of the Lantern Festival, and when we think of lantern riddles, we think of the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The Lantern Festival was held during the Southern Song Dynasty, where riddles were posted on colorful lanterns for people to enjoy while guessing the riddles. The story of "Double Happiness" is related to Wang Anshi, who read "Walking Horse Lanterns, Lights Walking Horses, Lights Going Out, Horses Stopping" when he was on his way to take an examination. To the capital examination, the examiner out of the "flying tiger flag, flag flying tiger, flag roll tiger hide" to let the next couplet, other people can not, Wang Anshi in the lanterns will see the sentence of the joint response, won the first prize. He returned to his hometown and married a beautiful wife. A pair of couplets, the gold list, the cave flower candle, "double happiness", become a good story. Lantern riddles, due to enlightenment and fun, very popular, guessing lantern riddles has become an important activity of the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles involve a wide range of content, from astronomy, down to geography, everything, is also wisdom and fun entertainment.
The stilt-walking, every Lantern Festival, all over the community to be held in the activities of the social fire, many songs and dances juggling have appeared. Stilt walking is quite a characteristic folk dance performance. I have one year, specifically to walk the Red Army stayed in the place, the Spring Festival is also in Jiangxi. At that time in Yudu, before the 15th day of the first month, a master led a lot of land in the street training stilts, I followed for a long time, and the master talked for a long time. He introduced me to the knowledge of stilts, really benefited a lot. Stilts are mostly wooden, and there are double stilts and single stilts. Double stilts more tied to the calf, in order to show skills, single stilts with both hands to hold the top of the wooden stilts, easy to go up and down, dynamic and interesting. Its performance and have Wen stilts, martial arts stilts, Wen stilts heavy disguise and twisting tease, martial arts stilts emphasize personal skills and tricks, stilts, have formed a distinctive regional style and Mingzu color. The stilts in the north play the roles of fishermen, matchmakers, Taoist nuns, monks and so on. The stilts in the south play the roles in the opera, such as Guan Gong, Zhang Fei, Lv Dongbin, He Xianfu, Zhang Sheng, Hongniang, Jigong and Shenxian, etc. They sing while walking and are very popular among the people. They walk and sing, and are very popular among the people.
Juggling dragon lanterns is also called dragon lantern dance and dragon dance. Legend has it that it began during the time of the Yellow Emperor and evolved into a dance scene in which six auger dragons interspersed each other. The earliest written record of the dragon dance is the Han Dynasty Zhang Heng's "Xijing Fu". Dragon lanterns are made of bamboo, wood, colored paper, cloth and other tied into intermittent sections, the overall length of several zhang. When candles are lit inside the dragon's body, it is called "dragon lantern", while those without candles are called "cloth dragon". When the dragon dance is performed, the leader holds the dragon's head, and behind him, dozens of people hold up wooden sticks attached to the dragon's body. The whole dragon dances to the beat of the drums and flies up and down, making it look lifelike. Juggling dragon lanterns is not only a traditional entertainment activity that has been passed down for a long time, but also symbolizes people's hope for the new year. I traveled in the ancient town, saw the brush dragon lantern show, and the impression is not very deep. Later, I saw the CCTV introducing the bench dragon lanterns of the children in the ancient town of Anhui, which was very spectacular. Although I am from Anhui, but I am in the north of Anhui, not very understanding of the customs of the south of the Yangtze River. Which ancient town I can't recall off the top of my head, that town's tradition is to have children participate in such traditional street lanterns, winding for more than ten miles, very spectacular.
Lion dance, in the Lantern Festival entertainment, lion dance is a must-have program. The lion dance has become a symbol of Chinese activities abroad. Major festivals, we will also see the lion dance performance. The origin of the lion dance, one theory is that the custom of the lion dance comes from the "mask play" of Xiliang, and some people think that it was created in the fifth century by the army of Liu Song, and was later introduced to the people. The lion dance looks simple, but in fact, it requires a high level of skill and tacit cooperation. During the development of the lion dance, two styles of lion dance were formed, one in the north and the other in the south. The northern style is based on the "martial lion", which is usually performed by a pair of dancers, with one standing and dancing the lion's head, and the other bending down to dance the lion's body and tail. The lion guide, dressed as an ancient warrior, holds a spinning embroidered ball in his hand to tease the lion. Under the guidance of the lion guide, the lion performs a variety of tumbling, jumping, climbing, pilgrimage and other skills, as well as plum blossom pile, scurrying table, stepping on a rolling ball and other difficult movements. The southern school of lion dance to "Wen lion" based on the performance of the expression, there are scratching, shaking hair, licking hair and other comical movements, amusing. There are many styles of Southern Lion Dance, and each place has its own characteristics and instructions. The lion is the king of all beasts, and the lion dance shows the bravery and strength of people and brings a joyful atmosphere to the festival. I have seen more lion dances in the north and more lion dances in the south, mostly on TV, especially watching Chinese performances. There are quite a number of overseas Chinese, Guangdong and Fujian, who have inherited the traditional culture and customs of Chinese folklore.
Rowing a dry boat, also known as running a dry boat, legend has it that in honor of Dayu to control the water. The boat is made of bamboo, wood or hemp straw, covered with paper and colored silk, and decorated with flowers on the bow, stern and gang. Dry boat show, there is generally a girl standing in the dry boat, known as the "boat lady", imitating the rowing posture, while dancing, while shaking the boat left and right forward, showing the boat in the waves in the undulation of the situation. There are also people who play the role of clowns, pretending to be boat passengers around the dry boat and performing various comical actions, thus triggering the laughter of the audience. The rest of the people on the side of the gongs and drums, the atmosphere is enthusiastic. Running a dry boat has a strong local flavor and national characteristics. This is something we often see in the scene and on TV. Most of the protagonists are dressed in green tunics with black trimmings, draped in red and green, powdered and exaggerated. They bring great joy to the public under the previous conditions of limited folk entertainment.
Twisting rice-planting songs, in the Lantern Festival celebrations, twisting rice-planting lion an important element. Yangge is mainly popular in the northern region, is very ethnic characteristics of a dance form. Different regions, the form also makes a difference. There are mainly northeastern Yangge, Shanxi Yangge, Hebei Yangge, Shandong Yangge, and so on. But rice-planting performances **** the same characteristics of four, generally from more than ten to one hundred people to form a collective team of rice-planting, performers dressed as historical stories, myths and legends and real-life characters, holding fans, handkerchiefs, colored silks, umbrellas, etc., in the oboe, drums and gongs and other musical instruments under the accompaniment of the dance as they go, while changing the various formations, lively and exuberant, special hilarious extraordinary. Northern people are very common, Zhang Yimou early also photographed the Yellow River along the magnificent scene of twisting rice-planting songs. Those stagnant expression under the field of young peasants, a rice-planting field, energetic, bursting out of the spirit of life force, so he was very emotional. The human nature of the open, at that time to get fully bloomed.
Fireworks, in the Lantern Festival, all over the fireworks tradition, a variety of fireworks compete, brilliant. Nowadays, the fireworks are highly technological, and the annual welcome fireworks in Sydney, Australia, have become magnificent symbols. When we hosted the Olympic Games and the 70th Anniversary Celebration, we also interpreted the fireworks to the extreme, which was very spectacular. But I have seen the fireworks, the most impressive is still in middle school years when my hometown fireworks. At that time there was a square in the city center, which became the site of major festivals, and was later sold to a businessman for 8 million by the well-known Wang Huaizhong to develop. I was impressed that there was a stampede in the fireworks display that year, killing and injuring many people. The next morning, my neighbor and I went to see the scene, a soccer field of shoes scattered on the ground, very awe-inspiring. Now firecrackers are also banned in my hometown, and fireworks are history. This year, I went back, on the night of the New Year's Eve did not hear a fireworks, very marvelous. Beijing banned for many years, there are still people secretly put, compared to the hometown is really not easy.
The Lantern Festival tower fire, in the Northwest, the Lantern Festival held a fire and light show, to light the Lantern Festival tower fire. Tower fire is synthesized with loess clay or brick and into the shape of a tower, about a meter and a half high, the tower is equipped with charcoal wood. When it is lit, burning embers come out from the round holes around it, and the fire is very strong and spectacular. I have not seen such a scene with my own eyes, but I have seen it many times on TV and illustrated in books, and am amazed by the creation of the ancient working people, and the sense of site should be very shocking!
Playing steel flowers is a Lantern Festival activity unique to Hebei and Northwest China. I was going to Hebei Weixian Nuanquan to take photos, only to know that there is such a project. Steel water at more than 3,000 degrees, by the whole body wrapped up in the center of the field, standing in the center of the field, to the sky to raise and sprinkle boiling steel water, forming a beautiful tempering. Photographing tempering became a popular program for photographers who went to Weixian. I never thought there was such a dangerous game, but it was really pretty, thrilling and beautiful.