An Ocean of Earthly Stars
Lantern Displays (灯会, Dēnghuì) represent the grandest visual climax of the Chinese New Year festivities, particularly during the Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao Jie) on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
When night falls, parks, temple courtyards, and ancient city streets are illuminated by thousands of intricately crafted lanterns. These range from delicate hand-held paper globes to towering, multi-story illuminated installations depicting mythological dragons, lotus flowers, and historical legends.
From Sacred Offerings to Carnival Nights
The tradition dates back over 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty, when Emperor Ming—an early patron of Buddhism—ordered imperial palaces and households to light lanterns on the fifteenth night of the first month to honor Buddha.
By the Tang and Song Dynasties, the custom had evolved into a nationwide secular carnival. Unlike ordinary nights when strict curfews were enforced, imperial authorities temporarily lifted nighttime curfews during the Lantern Festival—a policy known as “Releasing the Night” (放夜, Fàngyè). Entire cities stayed awake for three to five consecutive nights, celebrating under a canopy of light.
Chinese Valentine’s Day: Romance Under the Lights
In ancient feudal China, unmarried young women were generally restricted from venturing out freely. However, during the Denghui, they were permitted to stroll through the crowded streets to admire the lanterns.
Consequently, the lantern festival became a socially sanctioned occasion for matchmaking and romantic encounters—earning it the title of China’s true traditional Valentine’s Day. This romantic atmosphere was immortalized by the Song Dynasty poet Xin Qiji (辛弃疾):
“But in the crowd once and again, I look for her in vain. / When all at once I turn my head, / I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.”
（众里寻他千百度。蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。）
Traditional Craftsmanship and “Zouma Deng”
Traditional lantern-making is an intricate folk art combining bamboo or wire framing, paper or silk pasting, painting, and calligraphy. Among the most fascinating historical creations is the Zouma Deng (走马灯, Trotting Horse Lantern).
Invented over a millennium ago, the Zouma Deng is a primitive thermodynamic paper carousel. Heated air from a burning candle at the base rises to turn a small pinwheel at the top, which rotates a paper shaft adorned with paper-cut silhouettes of galloping horses or warriors, projecting moving shadows across the lantern’s outer walls.
The Modern Zigong Lantern Miracle
In contemporary China, the art of Denghui has reached world-class artistic and mechanical heights, most famously seen at the Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival (自贡灯会) in Sichuan province.
Modern displays merge traditional silk-draping techniques with massive steel infrastructures, fiber optics, animatronics, and water reflections. Today, Chinese lantern festivals are not only a cherished domestic ritual but have also become global cultural ambassadors, illuminating night skies in cities around the world.