The Lantern Festival is one of China's traditional festivals. It existed as early as more than 2,000 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty. Lantern viewing began during the period of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism. I heard that in Buddhism, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, monks view the Buddha's relics and light lanterns to worship the Buddha.

As a result, he ordered that on this night, lanterns should be lit in palaces and temples to worship the Buddha, and all the nobles and common people should hang lanterns.

Later, this kind of Buddhist ritual festival gradually became a grand folk festival.

This festival has experienced the development process from the palace to the folk, from the Central Plains region to all parts of the country.

During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, he ordered the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to be named the Lantern Festival.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrificial activities for "Taiyi God" were held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

(Taiyi: Lord of Lantern Festival delicacies - the god of Lantern Festival killing everything in the universe).

When Sima Qian created the "Taichu Calendar", he had already identified the Lantern Festival as an important Lantern Festival delicacy - the Lantern Festival.

Another theory is that the custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival originated from the Taoist "Three Yuan Theory"; the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of July is the Zhongyuan Festival, and the fifteenth day of October is the Xiayuan Festival.

The three officials in charge of the upper, middle and lower elements are heaven, earth and man respectively. The heavenly officials are happy, so lamps must be lit on the Lantern Festival.

The festival period and customary activities of the Lantern Festival have been extended and expanded with the development of history.

In terms of the length of the festival, it was only one day in the Han Dynasty, three days in the Tang Dynasty, and five days in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the lights were lit from the eighth day of the lunar month until the lights were turned off on the night of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, a full ten days.

Connecting with the Spring Festival, the city is bustling during the day, and the lights are lit at night, which is spectacular.

Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival.

By the Qing Dynasty, "hundred operas" such as dragon dance, lion dance, land boat running, stilt walking, and Yangko dancing were added, but the festival period was shortened to four to five days.

Shangyuan means the first full moon night in the new year.

The origin of the Shangyuan Festival is recorded in "Sui Shi Za Ji" that it is due to the stereotypes of Methodism.

Taoism once called the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the year the Shangyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Zhongyuan Festival, and the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month the Xiayuan Festival, collectively known as the "Three Yuan Festival".

The gods worshiped by Wu Dou Mi Dao, an important sect of Taoism in the late Han Dynasty, are Tianguan, Diguan, and Shuiguan. It is said that Tianguan blesses blessings, Diguan forgives sins, and Shuiguan relieves misfortune. It also uses three yuan to match the three officials, saying that the Tianguan first month of the Yuan Dynasty

Born on the 15th day of the month, Zhongyuan Diguan was born on the 15th of July, and Xiayuan Shuiguan was born on the 15th of October.

In this way, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is called the Shangyuan Festival.

Wu Zimu of the Southern Song Dynasty said in "Mengliang Lu": "The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month is the time when the heavenly officials of the Shangyuan Dynasty bestow blessings." It is said that the heavenly officials grant blessings and the earthly officials forgive sins, and the real driving force of the Lantern Festival customs is

Because it is at a new point in time, people make full use of this special time stage to express their life wishes.

Edit this section of festival history The formation of the Lantern Festival customs has a long process. According to historical materials and folklore, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has been taken seriously in the Western Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty worshiped "Taiyi" (Taiyi) in Ganquan Palace on Xinye night of the first lunar month (Taiyi:

The god who dominates everything in the world) is regarded by later generations as the precursor to offering sacrifices to the gods on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

However, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month really became a folk festival after the Han and Wei dynasties.

The introduction of Buddhist culture in the Eastern Han Dynasty played an important role in forming the custom of celebrating the Lantern Festival.

Lantern Festival Lantern Festival Lantern Festival Lantern Festival During the Yongping reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (AD 58-175), because Emperor Ming promoted Buddhism, it coincided with Cai Min's return from India to seek Buddhism.

It is an auspicious day to visit the Buddha and pay homage to the Buddha's relics.

In order to promote Buddhism, Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty ordered that on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month, lanterns should be lit in palaces and temples to represent the Buddha.

Therefore, the custom of lighting lanterns on the fifteenth 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". People in the Han Dynasty held torches in the countryside to drive away insects and beasts, hoping to reduce insect pests and pray for a good harvest.

To this day, people in some areas of southwestern China still make torches out of reeds or tree branches on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and hold the torches high in groups to dance in fields or drying fields.

Since the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, it has become even more prosperous.

Tens of thousands of singers and dancers participated in the performance, from dusk to dusk, and then stopped at dusk.

With the changes of society and times, the customs and habits of the Lantern Festival have already undergone major changes, but it is still a traditional Chinese folk festival.

Another theory is that the custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival originated from the Taoist "Three Yuan Theory"; the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of July is the Zhongyuan Festival, and the fifteenth day of October is the Xiayuan Festival.

The three officials in charge of the upper, middle and lower elements are heaven, earth and man respectively. The heavenly officials are happy, so lamps must be lit on the Lantern Festival.

The festival period and customary activities of the Lantern Festival have been extended and expanded with the development of history.

In terms of the length of the festival, it was only one day in the Han Dynasty, three days in the Tang Dynasty, and five days in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the lights were lit from the eighth day of the lunar month until the lights were turned off on the night of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, a full ten days.

Connecting with the Spring Festival, the city is bustling during the day, and the lights are lit at night, which is spectacular.

Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival.

By the Qing Dynasty, "hundred operas" such as dragon dance, lion dance, land boat running, stilt walking, and Yangko dancing were added, but the festival period was shortened to four to five days.