Ba Ba Deng Lantern Show in Yingdu, Nan'an
Hand in hand, we pull the lanterns along, Sending happy wishes to Yingdu in a song!
🏮The Lantern Festival Legend
⭐ Origins
During the Southern Song dynasty, Quanzhou flourished as a hub of the Maritime Silk Road, and the Yingxi River became an important inland transport route. A boatman surnamed Chen, praying for favorable winds and rains, brought a sacred spirit from the Zhaohui Temple on Jiuri Mountain in Fengzhou to Yingdu for worship. He creatively transformed the Lantern Festival tradition into the “Heavenly Birthday Lantern Parade.
How Traditions Travel and Transform
As river transport declined, the Chen boatmen migrated, and the worship at the Zhaohui Temple was continued by villagers of the Hong clan. The “Pulling Lanterns” gradually evolved into an annual ritual for farmers to pray for blessings. By the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty, the tradition had taken shape and has been preserved to this day, becoming an important custom for the people of Nan’an on the ninth day of the first lunar month.
Rituals
Offering to Heaven:Villagers bathe and purify themselves, presenting sacrificial offerings such as chickens, ducks, and pig heads.
Honoring the Deities:The offerings are brought to the Zhaohui Temple to worship deities such as King Renfu.
Binding the Lanterns:Lanterns are hung on thick ropes, forming a grand array of lights.
Pulling the Lanterns:The leader shoulders the main rope, while the procession advances with loud shouts, resembling a fiery dragon winding through the night sky.
🎬Lantern Maze Unlocked: Video Guide
🌟A single lantern, a single rope— They're not just things, they're how we cope! They tie the hearts of Yingdu tight, Making our love and strength shine bright!
📚Resources:
Tencent News
Sohu
Baidu Baike
China Heritage Museum of Non-Traditional Cultural Heritage
People's Government of Fujian Province