CHINESE LANTERNS
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by Andrea Spolidoro
(Courtesy of the Museum of Chinese American History)
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Throughout the history of China, lanterns have been symbols of hope, rejuvenation, and celebration. Lanterns are integral to the most mundane or important rituals of life; in support of communication with the god; for ceremonial purposes; as symbols; and in festivals.

Certain lanterns have historically been used in supplication of gods' attention in order to request long life, recovery from sickness, wealth, etc. In these cases, the petitioner hangs a lantern outside of the house for a specified length of time. The lantern is usually inscribed with two characters; "heavenly lantern," or "the divine lantern," or "heaven and earth lantern," or "heaven and earth divine lantern." (Doolittle: 131). One or two candles burn within the lantern at night.

Bamboo or wooden lanterns are hung outside of houses where the residents wish to publicly show their citizenship in the community or respect for the gods. Government seldom supported the expense of street lighting, so in villages and towns many business people and residents used lanterns as a way of lighting up their shops and houses to aid the night traveller. Weather permitting, these lanterns would usually be lit until midnight.

The ceremonial use of lanterns centered around burials, weddings, and changing residences. White gauze was used on the outside of crudely constructed lanterns approximately a foot and a half long and eight to ten inches in diameter. Four red paper letters would be attached to the gauze signifying the expression, "a hundred children and a thousand grandchildren," an extremely friendly and good-luck saying that expressed the wish for a large family and a lot of respect in old age. These lanterns were "regarded as an omen of good" (Doolittle: 325) and were hung on the poles carrying sedans as they transported people in weddings, funerals, or in the process of moving.

As a cultural symbol, the lantern stood for joyfulness, the return of spring, and a renewal of the earth. Undoubtedly, the most important and complex showing of lanterns occurred during "Shang Yuan, the first creative power, or the spring sun which comes to warm the earth and revive vegetation. Since it is the festival of light, lanterns characterize it" (Spencer: 232). Shang Yuan, the Festival of Lanterns, was celebrated from the tenth or eleventh day of the first lunar month. The festival lasted to the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the same month.

Another activity concerning lanterns involved the scholars of the area. Households would make up riddles or puzzles and paste these on four-sided lanterns outside their homes. Winners who solved the puzzles were immediately given "a small parcel of tea, or a bundle of firecrackers, or some beetlenut, or a fan, or a pencil. The present which will be given to the guesser of each particular riddle is intimated by a word or two written on the same slip of paper which contains the riddle" (Doolittle: 38).

 

  

The variety of lanterns was immense. They varied by size, shape (circular, square, flat, thin, long), form (animal, human, god/ goddess), color, material, and complexity. Some lanterns rolled on the ground with a candle suspended within; others were on wheels. Some were extremely plain-red paper with pinpricks outlining a character for longevity of happiness. With a candle inside, the lantern would glow through the pinpricks.

Some lanterns could be carried by hand and were usually accompanied by a holding stick. Other lanterns were displayed on walls, used to divide rooms, hung freely from the ceiling, rolled on the floor, or were attached to poles. They eventually could be classified by regions of China.
The class distinctions of Chinese society were reflected by materials used in making lanterns. The aristocratic class commissioned palace lanterns "fashioned of silk or glass panels over frames of mahogany, boxwood or sandalwood. The I)easant created less costly but equally colorful lanterns from panels of oiled paper, silk or sheepskin, fastened to bases of wood, bamboo, wire, or rice stalks. Paintings, ei-nbroidery, or papercuts added a bold festive touch." (Stalber and Nesi: 177).
The most complex lantern seems to have been the "zou-ma deng" or "galloping horse lantern." These lanterns had candles within, and when lit, heated up the air causing a hidden wheel to turn. The effect was revolving panels within the lantern; the panels depicted ancient history, fables, and myths.

Editor's Note: In written and oral accounts of Chinese Moon Festivals, lanterns are/were a prevalent and important part of the Moon Festival/Mid-Autumn Festival in certain areas of China.

Bibliography

Doolittle, Reverand Justus. Social Life of the Chinese: Religious, Governmental,
Educational, and Business Customs and Opinions. Harper and Brothers: New York, 1865. Seton, Grace Thompson. Chinese Lanterns. Dodd, Mead, and Company: New York, 1924. Spencer, Cornelia. Made in China. Alfred A. Knopf: New York, 1945.
Stalberg, Roverta Helmer and Ruth Nesi. China's Crafts. Eurasia Press: New York,1980.

Andre,a Spolidoro is a graduate student at the Asian American Studies Center at LICLA. She worked as a research assistant for the Museum of Chinese American History at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Park in the summer or 1989.