The Lantern Festival originated from the Buddhist practice of monks viewing Buddha's relics on the 15th day of the first month and lighting lamps to honor the Buddha. Ming Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Ming Emperor advocated Buddhism, heard that the Buddhist monks on the fifteenth day of the first month to see the Buddha's relics, lighted lamps in honor of the Buddha's practice, the night of the order in the palace and temples lighted lamps in honor of the Buddha, so that the people of the common people have hung lamps, which also formed the lanterns Lantern Festival. Later, this Buddhist ceremonial festival gradually formed a grand folk festival. The festival has gone through a process of development from the palace to the folk, from the Central Plains to the whole country.
The fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the Lantern Festival, the Lantern Festival is our traditional Chinese festival, this day not only to reunite the family, but also means that the lunar New Year is considered to be really finished.
According to information and folklore, the Lantern Festival was first celebrated more than 2,000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty. The 15th day of the first month has been emphasized in the Western Han Dynasty, but only called the 15th day of the first month, the first half of the first month, or the month of the hope, after the Sui Dynasty, it is called Yuanxi or the night of the first yuan, the beginning of the Tang Dynasty has been influenced by the Taoist religion, and also known as the Shangyuan, the end of the Tang Dynasty is only occasional called the Lantern Festival. But since the Song Dynasty, it is also called Lantern Festival. To the Qing Dynasty, it is called another festival of lights.