Foreigners display self-made lanterns at Lantern Festival Show

More than 10 "Lantern Festival galas" including flower shows, Yangko, dragon and lion dances, and lantern shows were staged in Beijing on February 28 (January 15 on the lunar calendar), the date of this year's Lantern Festival. Traditional and modern activities during the lantern festival (one of China's most important festivals) marked the climax of this year's Spring Festival.

The Lantern Festival became a traditional Chinese festival during the Han Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago. The folk custom of holding a lantern show on Jan 15 (on the lunar calendar) originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty (when Emperor Ming ruled the country). Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism. Upon hearing that monks viewed sariras and lit lanterns to pay respects to Buddha on January 15 (on the lunar calendar), the emperor ordered his subjects to light lanterns in the imperial palace and temples. Since then, this religious ritual gradually became a folk custom. The lantern festival has spread from the imperial palace to society and from central China to the entire country. Currently, the festival is associated with flowers, firecrackers and sweet dumplings.

Two kids are showing their lantern

Now, even foreigners are interested in Chinese festivals. Starting February 26, a lantern show around the theme of "I love terracotta warriors—a lantern show featuring lanterns made by foreigners at an internationally fashionable and cultural area" took place in Sanlitun, Beijing. Hundreds of foreigners displayed the lanterns they had made to passers-by. Looking at the foreigners who took the festival seriously, local residents gave a thumbs-up and said "good job" regardless of the actual quality of the lanterns.

Liu Wugang, an official from the publicity and education division of the Sanlitun Sub-District, said there are a total of 60 lanterns made by more than 30 foreigners. These foreigners painted all kinds of things including houses, dragons and the sun on the lanterns, keeping in mind important Chinese images.

Some newcomers believe that the Lantern Festival is a busy holiday and one can feel the holiday atmosphere on the streets in Beijing. However, Beijingers are unsatisfied with the fewer flower and lantern shows during the festival. To their satisfaction, however, the tradition of eating sweet dumplings has been maintained. Elders said that the zest of the Lantern Festival has been diluted, compared with how it has been in the past.

Beijingers hope that the traditional and folk customs can be preserved as Beijing continues to become more and more of an international city.