Pancun Lantern Festival
Lanterns light up the lions, blessing all of Pancun.
🏮The Lantern Festival Legend
⭐ Origins
The Pan Village Lantern Festival has been passed down in Pan Village, Shuikou Town, Kaiping City, Guangdong Province. It originated in the eighth year ofEmperor Yingzong’s Tianshun reign during the Ming dynasty (1464).
📖Stories
During the Ming dynasty, society was in turmoil and bandits roamed freely. In Pan Village, an elder named Kuang Qijian sought guidance from the renowned scholarChenBaisha.
Chen pointed out that Pan Village was surrounded by five dark stone beast mountains—Lion Mountain, Tiger Mountain, Elephant Mountain, Horse Mountain, and Ox Mountain. These five beasts could have protected the village, yet the lion lay in slumber, leaving the community vulnerable to misfortune.
He advised the villagers to hang lanterns, set off firecrackers, and beat drums and gongs to awaken the lion, so it might keep the other beasts in check.
From then on, every year on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Pan Village held lantern dances, gradually shaping a tradition that blossomed into a grand lantern festival.
Folk Features
In more than forty villages, every household hangs lanterns and colorful decorations. Crowds gather to parade magnificent lanterns, some towering three meters high, through the entire township.
At the front, ceremonial parasols lead the way, while dragons and lions dance alongside, creating a spectacular scene of joy and excitement.
🌟The little lights are sleepy now, but their happy whispers float on and on.
📚Resources:
China Heritage Digital Museum
People's Daily Image Network