"The Origin of Lanterns

The Origin of Lanterns

Lanterns are closely related to the life of Chinese people, and they are found in temples and living rooms everywhere.

By careful reckoning, lanterns came into existence in China after the Qin and Han dynasties, and paper lanterns probably came into existence after the invention of paper in the Eastern Han Dynasty

.

Chinese lanterns, not only for lighting, it is often a symbol, Wu Dunhou said

, he used to do the bride lamp (i.e., the palace lantern) on behalf of the wedding festivities; gabion lamps on the notice that this is a funeral

funeral occasions; umbrella lamps (the word lamp), because the "lamp" and the "ding" phonetically the same, meaning that the people

prosperous. Therefore, in the past, every family had a lantern hung under the eaves of the house and in the living room. Today, there are still two large lanterns in front of the deity's ding-tao at the Welcome

God Tournament, which is a continuation of this custom.

However, I am afraid that the lanterns are the most exciting thing to think about and look forward to in the Lantern Festival.

The custom of viewing lanterns at the Lantern Festival originated in the early Han Dynasty, and during the reign of Tang Dynasty, in order to celebrate the prosperity of the country and the people

, lanterns were tied up to symbolize the "colorful dragons and auspiciousness, and the people and the country were strong and prosperous

, and lanterns have become popular since then. When Zhu Yuanzhang, the capital of Ming Dynasty, built Nanjing, he put 10,000 water lanterns on the Qinhuai River, and Yongle Dynasty set up a lamp post at the Wumen Gate, and set up a "lantern market" outside the Huamen Gate,

so that there are still streets in Beiping called "Lantern Market".

After the Republic of China, the lanterns are still around, but they are much more subdued. Luckily, nowadays, due to the China Fever

, lanterns are gradually playing an important role in home decorations, but the material of the lanterns has

changed from paper and bamboo to cloth, plastic, and iron wire, and the shapes and colors of the lanterns are very different from the traditional ones

.

Traditionally, temples are dominated by the color yellow, and the size and color of the lanterns are all subject to personal preference,

regardless of the symbolism.

In addition to illumination, lanterns have other meanings. When private schools (ancient schools)

started in the first month of the year, parents would prepare a lantern for their children, which would be lit by the teacher to symbolize a bright future for the students

, which was called "opening the lantern". This has since evolved into the custom of carrying lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Because of the similarity between the sound of the word and

"to add a child", lanterns were also used to pray for the birth of a child. During the Japanese colonial era, patriots painted folk tales on the lanterns to teach their children and grandchildren about their own culture, so the meaning of passing on the flame was also passed on to the next generation.

Lanterns are a kind of lamps in ancient times, as early as the eighth century AD in the Tang Dynasty, there are records of the use of lanterns. China has a lamp is after the Qin and Han Dynasty, there are paper lanterns and may be in the Eastern Han Dynasty after the invention of paper. Lantern Lantern Festival custom originated in the early Han Dynasty, but there are also rumors that the Tang Emperor in the Lantern Festival in the Shangyang Palace on the big Chan Lantern Shadow, in order to celebrate the country's prosperity and people's peace, before tying the lanterns, by flickering light, symbolizing the "colorful dragons omen good luck, the people of the country," the lanterns of the wind is still widely popular today.

The origin of the Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival has a long process of formation, according to historical data and folklore, the fifteenth day of the first month in the Western Han Dynasty has been attached importance to the activities of Emperor Wu of the first month of the night of the first Xin in the Ganquan Palace to worship the "Taiyi" (Taiyi: the world's dominating all the God), was seen by the later generations as a first day of the fifteenth day of the first month of the first sacrifice of the God of Heaven's forebearers. However, it was after the Han Dynasty and Wei Dynasty that the 15th day of the first lunar month became a folk festival. The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty was an important impetus to the formation of the custom of celebrating the Lantern Festival. During the Yongping period of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (58-175 AD), when Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism, Cai Chuan, who had returned from India with the Buddhist teachings, claimed that on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the country of Moghul, monks gathered to venerate the Buddha's relics, which was an auspicious time to attend the Buddha's service. Han Mingdi in order to promote Buddhism, ordered the night of the 15th of the first month in the palace and the temple "lighted table Buddha". Therefore, the custom of burning lanterns on the 15th night of the first lunar month gradually expanded in China with the expansion of the influence of Buddhist culture and the addition of Taoist culture. It is also said that the Lantern Festival originated from the "Torch Festival", during the Han Dynasty, people held torches in the countryside and fields to drive away insects and animals, hoping to alleviate insect pests and 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 in 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 greater changes, but is still a traditional Chinese folk festival. Another theory is that the Lantern Festival custom originated from Taoism's "Three Elements"; the 15th day of the first month of the first element festival, the 15th day of the seventh month for the middle element festival, the 15th day of October for the lower element 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. Lantern Festival festival period and festival activities, is with the development of history and extend, expand. In terms of the length of the festival, the Han Dynasty only one day, to the Tang Dynasty has been three days, the Song Dynasty is up to five days, the Ming Dynasty is since the eighth light, until the night of the seventeenth day of the first month of the light, the whole ten days. With the Spring Festival, the daytime for the city, bustling, night lights, spectacular. Especially the delicate, colorful lights, more so during the Spring Festival entertainment activities ***. To the Qing Dynasty, and increased the dragon dance, lion dance, running boats, stilt walkers, twisting rice-planting songs and other "hundred theater" content, just shorten the festival period for four to five days.

The Origin of Lanterns

The Origin of Chinese Characters From the ancient legend of Cangjie's creation of Chinese characters to the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions more than 100 years ago, Chinese scholars through the ages have been committed to unraveling the mystery of the origin of Chinese characters. About the origin of Chinese characters, there are various stories in ancient Chinese literature

The Origin of Lanterns 50 Characters

Lanterns are closely related to the life of Chinese people, and there are lanterns in temples and living rooms everywhere. Carefully calculated, China has lamps after the Qin and Han Dynasty, and paper lanterns may be in the Eastern Han Dynasty, after the invention of paper.

Chinese lanterns, also collectively known as lanterns, originated more than 1,800 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty, around the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar every year, people hung up red lanterns to symbolize the meaning of reunion, to create a festive atmosphere. Later on, lanterns became a symbol of festivity for Chinese people. Through successive generations of lantern artists inheritance and development, the formation of colorful varieties and high level of craftsmanship. From the types of lanterns: palace lanterns, gauze lanterns, chandeliers and so on. From the modeling points, there are figures, landscapes, birds, flowers, dragons and phoenixes, fish and insects, etc., in addition to the horse lanterns for people to enjoy.

Lantern origin 25 words

On the origin of the lantern there are many kinds of claims, the more widely circulated one is: Lantern Lantern Lantern Festival custom began in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty Emperor Liu Zhuang advocated Buddhism, heard that the Buddhist monks on the 15th of the first month to see the Buddha's relics, lamps honoring the Buddha's practice, the order of the day and night in the palace and temples lamps honoring the Buddha, so that the common people of the clergy and the general public are hanging lamps. Later, this Buddhist ceremonial festival gradually formed a grand folk festival. The festival has experienced from the court to the folk, from the Central Plains to the national development process. Tang Kaiyuan years, in order to celebrate the prosperity of the country and the people, people tied lanterns, through the flickering light, symbolizing the "colorful dragon omen auspicious, the people of the country strong," lanterns have been widely popular since then.

The origin of the lantern ten words the shorter the better

Lantern, is a kind of lamps in ancient times, as early as the eighth century AD Tang Dynasty has recorded the use of lanterns from the beginning.

The origin of lanterns at Mid-Autumn Festival, what are the legends

The origin of lanterns at Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival night, the sky as clear as water, the moon as bright as a mirror, it can be said that the beauty of the good times, however, the people did not meet, so there is a lamp to help the moonlight custom. In Hunan and Guangdong have tile stacked tower in the tower on the lights of the festival. In the south of the Yangtze River there is a system of lights boat custom. In recent times, the custom of burning lamps in the Mid-Autumn Festival is more prevalent. Today, Zhou Yunjin, He Xiangfei, "Idle feelings try to say that the festival" article said: "Guangdong Zhang lights the most prevalent, each family in the festival ten days before, with bamboo strips tied lanterns.

Fruit, birds, animals, fish and insects and 'celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival' and other words, on the paste color paper painted in various colors. Mid-Autumn Lanterns burning candles with a rope tied to a bamboo pole, high tree on the eaves or terrace, or small lamps built into characters or various shapes, hanging high in the house, commonly known as 'tree Mid-Autumn' or 'vertical Mid-Autumn'. The lights hung by the rich and noble families, up to several feet high, the family gathered under the lights to drink for fun, the ordinary people are erected a flagpole, two lanterns, but also to take their own fun. City full of lights is like a glazed world." It seems that from ancient times to the Mid-Autumn Festival lighting custom of its scale seems to be second only to the Lantern Festival.

Summary: In ancient times, especially in the south of the Yangtze River, the Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns are very lively activities, is a lot of people very much like an activity. The main meaning of this lantern is to herald good luck, but also a way of life for ordinary people, this lively activity is only words Lantern Festival.

The legend or origin of the lantern

Chinese lanterns are also collectively known as lantern colors. Originating more than 1800 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty, around the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, people hung up red lanterns to symbolize reunion and create a festive atmosphere. Later on, lanterns became the symbol of Chinese celebrations. Through successive generations of lantern artists inheritance and development, the formation of colorful varieties and high level of craftsmanship. From the type of lanterns: palace lanterns, gauze lanterns, chandeliers and so on. From the shape of points, there are figures, landscapes, birds and flowers, dragons and phoenixes, fish and insects, etc., in addition to the horse lanterns for people to enjoy. Chinese lanterns combine the art of painting, paper-cutting, papier-maché, felting, etc., and are made from bamboo, wood, rattan, straw, animal horns, metal, damask and silk, etc., which are produced in various regions. Among the lanterns made in ancient China, palace lanterns and sarongs are the most famous.

Lanterns are closely associated with Chinese life, and there are lanterns in temples and living rooms everywhere. Carefully projected, China has lamps after the Qin and Han Dynasties, and paper lanterns may be after the invention of paper in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Chinese lanterns, not only for lighting, it is often a symbol, Wu Dunhou said, he used to do the bride lamp (i.e., palace lantern) on behalf of the wedding festivities; gabion lamps on behalf of this is a funeral occasion; umbrella lamp (the word lamp), due to the "lamp" and "Ding" phonetically the same, means that people are thriving. Therefore, in the past, every family had a lantern hanging under the eaves of the house and in the living room. The fact that there are still two large lanterns in front of the deity's ding-tao at today's welcome ceremony is a continuation of this custom.

However, the lanterns are the most people reverie, look forward to I'm afraid it is the lanterns of the Lantern Festival. The custom of viewing lanterns at the Lantern Festival originated in the early Han Dynasty, and during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, in order to celebrate the prosperity of the country and the peace of the people, lanterns were tied up to symbolize the "colorful dragons and auspiciousness, and the people and the country were strong," and lanterns have become popular since then. When Zhu Yuanzhang, the capital of Ming Dynasty, established Nanjing, 10,000 water lanterns were set on the Qinhuai River; Yongle Dynasty set up a large lantern post at the Wumen Gate, and set up a "Lantern Market" outside the Huamen Gate, which made Beiping still have a "Lantern Market" street. After the Republic of China, although the lanterns are still there, but a lot of bland, fortunately, nowadays because of the Chinese fever, lanterns and gradually in the home decoration plays an important role, but now the material of the lanterns, some by the original paper, bamboo, into cloth, plastic, wire, and lanterns, and the shape and color of the traditional shape and color is also very different.

Traditionally, temples are dominated by the color yellow, and the size and color of the lanterns change according to personal preference, without any symbolic meaning.

In addition to illumination, lanterns have other meanings. When private schools (ancient schools)

started in the first month of every year, parents would prepare a lantern for their children, which would be lit by the teacher to symbolize a bright future for the students, and this was known as the "opening of the lantern". This has since evolved into the custom of carrying lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Because of the similarity in sound to the word "tintin," lanterns were also used to pray for the birth of a child. During the Japanese colonial era, patriotic politicians drew folk stories on the lanterns to teach their children and grandchildren about their own culture, so it also has the meaning of passing on the flame.

According to their shapes, lanterns are now divided into two types: Quanzhou style and Fuzhou style. Among them, Quanzhou style is the representative of Chinese lanterns.

Quanzhou style lantern

Generally, the main material used to weave the lanterns is the tough and flexible bamboo and hemp fence.

The production process is:

(a) put the bamboo in the steam room heated for half an hour, and then take it out, and put it in the shade to dry, but not overly dry, and can not be placed in the sun under the strong light.

(ii) Use a bamboo planer to remove the rough skin of the cow face.

(3) Cut the bamboo strips to the desired length; this depends on the size of the lantern.

(4) Weaving method to complete the frame in a crosswise manner.

(5) In the center of the frame, tie several circles of bamboo around the wall of the lantern.

(6) Gluing (mounting) lanterns, first mounted cotton gauze, and then glued two layers of single-layer paper for lanterns. (If you don't have a single light paper, a fine cotton paper will do.) Framing cotton gauze must first dilute the paste, evenly brushed on the surface of the skeleton, and then cut the gauze lightly attached to the lamp frame, and then use a brush dipped in paste to brush flat, here we need to pay attention to, brush the paste must be a clean brush can be, otherwise, the lamp surface will be a mess. At the same time, the laminating paper must be glued without seams before the real laminating is complete.

(7) Place the lantern in a cool, ventilated place to dry.

(H) color painting. Painting to individual desired pattern painting, such as figures, eight immortals, flowers and birds, ladies and so on.

(ix) After painting, depending on the situation to decide whether to write text. When the text, pattern completely dry, then a layer of tung oil, and then wait for the tung oil shade dry, the lantern is completed.

Fuzhou-style lanterns - also known as umbrella lanterns

Gui Bamboo: It is the most commonly grown type of bamboo in Taiwan. It has a hard and flexible texture and is suitable for fishing rods, brooms and other implements.

Gomer: Gui Bamboo is split into bamboo strips called "Gomer". Holes are punched at the top and bottom of the gabion and threaded with wire.

Bamboo head: On the bamboo joints of the bamboo, grooves are carved out and fixed with thick iron wire to become the head and bottom of the bamboo lantern.

Method:

1. Install the gabions with wires on the bamboo head pedestal.

2. A gabion is mounted on a grid of grooves, and finally the bamboo head is tied with wire to become a bamboo frame.

3. Hold the bamboo frame against the ground and slowly push it down until it becomes a tube.

4. Press and fold the bamboo gimmicks with your hands to adjust the shape of the lantern, the curvature and the distance between the gimmicks.

5. Tie the cotton thread on the top of the lantern to fix the gabion.

6. Put white gauze on the gabions and fix them with paste.

7. Wait for the gauze to dry, and then apply the paisley glue.

8. After drying in the shade, the tube-shaped umbrella lamp is molded.

9. Then tracing and coloring. Generally speaking, the characters are vermillion red, and the pictures are auspicious paintings such as the Eight Immortals, the Three Stars of Fortune and Longevity, and so on.

10. Finally, install the base on the bamboo head, trim it, and it's done.

Types of Lanterns

Word Surname Lantern: One side of the lamp is the surname, and the other side is the name of the official that the ancestor once served. For example, the surname "Xie" is the Prince Shaobao, the surname "Zheng" is the King of Yanping Shao and so on.

Auspicious lamps: one side of the lamp is the name of the family name or God, the other side is the Eight Immortals (Lv Dongbin, He Xianjun, etc.), the three stars of fortune, luck and longevity, and other auspicious designs.

General type: Same as character lamps and auspicious lamps, one side of the lamp is the name of the family name or god or auspicious words, and the other side of the lamp is an auspicious pattern.

Official Lamp: The words and pictures painted on the lamp are the same as the general lamp, but the bottom is black and the words are gold. To the emperor's royal gift, can only hang this kind of lantern.