What is a lantern?

Also known as "Dragon Dance", it is a folk light dance form in China, which is very popular in many places in China. There is a faucet in front of the dragon lantern. The number of joints in the middle of the body varies, but it is generally singular. There is a stick under each joint for support.

Each node of candles is called "Dragon Lantern", and those who don't light candles are called "Bulong". When dancing, one person plays the dragon with colored beads and the faucet rotates with the beads. Many other people each hold an accompaniment, tilting up and down, turning left and right, and cooperating with gongs and drums, which is very spectacular.

2. Palace lanterns

It is a world-famous handcrafted lantern art with China characteristics. Palace lanterns are mostly made and used by palaces and government officials, so they have this name. The earliest palace lantern in existence is the Ming Dynasty palace lantern collected by the Palace Museum.

The production of palace lanterns is very complicated, mainly with carved wood, bamboo and bronze as the skeleton, and then inlaid with tulle, glass or horn pieces, on which various auspicious and festive themes such as landscapes, flowers and birds, fish and insects, and figures are painted.

3. Lantern

In ancient times, riding lanterns were called pan-pot lanterns (Qin and Han dynasties), fairy candle and Zhu dew lanterns (Tang dynasty) and riding lanterns (Song dynasty). It is also one of the traditional holiday toys, belonging to lanterns. Common in Lantern Festival, Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and other festivals. A candle is lit in the lamp, and the heat generated by the candle causes airflow and makes the axle rotate. There is paper-cut on the axle, and the shadow of paper-cut is projected on the screen by candlelight, and the image keeps moving. Because there are many pictures of ancient military commanders riding horses on all sides of the lamp, it seems that several people are chasing it when the lamp rotates, so it is named lantern.

4, gauze lamp

Yarn lantern, also called lantern, is a traditional handicraft, which is a lantern made of yarn paste. In ancient times, bamboo lampstands and candles were used for lighting. Nowadays, many steel wires are used to make lampstands and light bulbs for lighting. Shadeng originated in the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. Every year around the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month, people hang red lanterns symbolizing reunion. Red lanterns are hung high, warm and auspicious. Scholars who can draw good poems think that lanterns are simple to make and monotonous in surface, leaving no room for reverie and taste.

5. Flower basket lamp

Flower basket lamp is a traditional handicraft in China. Shaped like a flower basket, it is generally used as an ornament in halls, pavilions, corridors, pavilions and other places.

Flower basket lamp, also known as "running lamp", is a folk cultural activity. It is popular in Zhaocun, Longju Town, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province, and Gujiapo, Anyi Town. The main activities are held on the evening of Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month. The basket lamp is woven with bamboo or iron wire and pasted with colored paper or colored silk. All kinds of paper-cut and painted flowers are stuck in front of the basket. The bottom of the basket is hung with yellow spikes along the circumference, and the handle of the basket is tied with red silk flower. Put the candles in the basket.