Activities of Hequ River Lantern Festival

The Hequ River Lantern Festival is held on three days before and after the 15th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar every year. Before the festival is held, a ceremony of releasing river lanterns for Yu is held, and river lanterns glued by the community are offered to Shen Yu in front of the shrine to pay homage to Yu. Afterwards, monks recite sutras and the people make offerings of the river lanterns in front of the shrine, begging the god Yu for relief from calamities and blessings for good weather conditions. In the evening, when night falls, the host fires a cannon and lights torches, the monks recite sutras, and the lanterns in front of the shrine are sent to the ferry port, where the boatmen steer the wooden boat carrying various kinds of lanterns upstream for about a mile and anchor in the center of the rapids. When ready, the musicians will play music, with the sound of music, a lantern was put into the river. River lamps along the main channel of the Yellow River, drifting forward in groups, bright and bright, as if another world in front of the eyes in a trance, as if the netherworld. The whole event lasts for three days, and in addition to releasing river lanterns every night, there is also theater and music to cheer up. Traditionally, 360 river lanterns are released every day (360 days per year in the lunar calendar) in the hope that every day of the 360 days of the year will be safe and happy. In addition to releasing river lanterns every night, there is also theater and music. Hequ County Government began to host this event in 2005; July 14 to 16, 2007, three nights were floated 1,000, 1,650, 1,000 river lamps, three days * * * floated 3,650, a river lamps to send auspicious, sends people yearning for every day peace and good luck wishes. Not only the continuation of the custom of releasing river lamps, but also held a grand fireworks display, has become an important carrier of local cultural exchanges, economic development, and emotional contact.