Lantern Festival (Hakka Lantern Festival in Western Fujian)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Lantern Festival

Applicant: Liancheng County, Fujian Province

Item No.: 978

Project No.: Ⅹ - 71

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Fujian Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Liancheng County, Fujian Province

Protected by: Liancheng Cultural Center

Brief introduction of Lantern Festival (Hakka Lantern Festival in West Fujian)

Applicant: Liancheng County, Fujian Province

Lantern Festival, also known as "Shangyuan Festival", "Yuanxi Festival" and "Lantern Festival", is a traditional Chinese festival, which is popular all over the country. In China, the first month of the lunar calendar is Yuanyue, which is called "Xiao" in ancient times. Therefore, the 15th day of the first full moon in a year is called "Yuanxiao Festival".

Since the Han Dynasty, China has been lighting lanterns on the Lantern Festival, which has gradually developed into a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, this custom became more popular. The sentence "fire trees and silver flowers, star bridges and iron locks open" describes the grand occasion of the Lantern Festival in Chang'an. In the Ming Dynasty, the Lantern Festival has become an important part of people's life, and it will enjoy lanterns continuously for 10 days. In the Qing Dynasty, the Lantern Festival is a folk festival enjoyed by all the people, Fireworks and firecrackers will be set off during the lantern watching activities.

There are also some traditional activities in the Lantern Festival: one is "guessing lantern riddles", also known as "playing lantern riddles", which first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The riddles are to be guessed and the winner will be awarded; the other is to eat yuanxiao, which was originally known as "fuyuanzi", also known as "tangtuan" or "Tangyuan", a spherical food made of glutinous rice flour. It is filled with stuffing and eaten after being cooked in water, Eating Lantern Festival symbolizes the family reunion, harmony and happiness. The Lantern Festival in some places also has the custom of "walking through all kinds of diseases", also known as "baking all kinds of diseases" and "dispersing all kinds of diseases". People walk together on the Lantern Festival, or cross the bridge with each other, or go to the suburbs, symbolizing the elimination of diseases and disasters, peace and prosperity. Since modern times, traditional performances such as playing dragon lantern, playing lion, walking on stilts, rowing dry boat, twisting Yangko, playing Taiping drum and so on have been added to the Lantern Festival activities, which makes the Lantern Festival have a new development in the inheritance.

The Lantern Festival, which has a history of more than 2000 years, is not only popular on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also highly valued in overseas Chinese communities. In addition to the Han nationality, Manchu, Korean, Hezhe, Mongolian, Daur, Ewenki, Oroqen, Hui, Xibo, Tibetan, Bai, Naxi, Miao, Yao, she, Zhuang, Buyi, Li, Gelao and other ethnic minorities also celebrate the Lantern Festival, with their own characteristics.

Hakka is a special branch of the Han nationality. Before the middle ages, most of the Hakka ancestors lived in the northern Central Plains. Due to the war and other reasons, from the Western Jin Dynasty, the Hakka ancestors moved to the South five times. In the process of moving to the south, Hakkas not only retained the cultural tradition of the ancient Han nationality, but also absorbed the culture and customs of Minyue, she, Yao and other nationalities, and gradually formed the traditional lantern festival activities of Hakkas in Western Fujian. The Lantern Festival activities of Hakka in Western Fujian are mainly spread in five Hakka settlements in Western Fujian, including Liancheng County, Yongding County, Changting County, Wuping County and Shanghang County. Among them, the most representative contents include visiting Dalong in Gutian of Liancheng City, walking ancient events in Luofang of Liancheng City, Zhixi lantern of Liancheng City, Huadeng story of Fushi city of Yongding City, and new spring firecrackers of Liancheng city.

The Hakka Lantern Festival in Western Fujian has the characteristics of national, entertainment, competition, mystery and artistry. Liancheng Gutian youdalong has been handed down for 22 generations. The main props are made of fir wood, bamboo strips, cotton paper and cowhide. The whole activity is composed of greeting "father-in-law", making the dragon, preparing before the tour, leaving the dragon, touring the dragon and burning the dragon. Liancheng Luofang has been handed down for 28 generations. Its main supplies are the ancient affairs shed, which weighs about 200 kg. The activities include organizing and implementing, making the ancient affairs shed, tranquilizing and fasting, preparing activities, walking the ancient affairs, and going down the stream. Liancheng Zhixi lantern is made of bamboo strips, cotton paper, grass paper, spider yarn, rice beads, colorful puppet head, glass cup, colorful small ball, fire snail, lantern bamboo, etc. its production includes bamboo strips splitting, lantern skeleton making, flower board carving, paste cloth lantern making, horse lantern making, lantern assembling and other steps, which has been handed down for 25 generations. Xinquan firecrackers have been handed down for five generations. The main utensils used in the activities include firecrackers, door boards, incense paper, candles, "three great ancestors" Bodhisattva sedan chair, gongs and drums, and Shifan musical instruments.

The custom of Yuanxiao Festival is an important part of Hakka traditional culture in West Fujian. It is also an important carrier of Hakka social form and traditional spirit. It reflects Hakka people's values and aesthetic ideals concretely and vividly. It has research value in sociology, anthropology, ethnology and aesthetics.