Putian Lanterns of Fujian

Paper shadows away--blessing come to stay

🏮Introduction

Putian’s Oil-Paper Lanterns? They’ve been around for a super long time! They’ve got bamboo bones and wear a cozy coat of oil paper. On the outside — hand-painted dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and birds! When you light one up, it flickers and sways, shining in all colors. And guess what? People believe these lanterns chase away bad things and whisper: ‘Stay safe, stay happy, and be well!’

📍Stories

Historical origin

Long, long ago in the Han dynasty, people in Putian started hanging oil-paper lanterns whenever there was a party—weddings, birthdays, moving into a new house, or the Lantern Festival. These lanterns are like magical lights: they bring good luck, chase away bad things, and keep everyone safe and healthy.

An inheritor

In Putian’s Dongsha Village, the Cai Qide family has been making oil-paper lanterns since 1891. For more than a hundred years, their glowing craft has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, the third heir still keeps the old secrets alive—tung oil simmering in pots, lantern frames carefully shaped by hand—so that each lantern carries the light of tradition.

Folk tales

The Heaven-and-Earth Lantern Story:Once upon a time in the Ming dynasty, a dragon dressed up like a student and played tricks on the prefect’s daughter. A brave monk came to catch the dragon, and when the fight was over, only the lantern at the door was still shining. From then on, people believed the “Heaven and Earth Lantern” could bring good luck and keep bad things away.

Dragon design meaning:Lantern dragons aren’t all the same. In ancient times, emperors claimed the mighty five-clawed dragon. In Putian, families chose the four-clawed dragon. And in Xianyou, people hung lanterns with three-clawed dragons—because of a tale from Mulan Stream, where a monk named Zhang struck a river dragon and chopped off one of its claws.

Culture and meaning

In the Putian-Xianyou dialect, “lantern” sounds like “descendant,” and “bamboo” sounds like “virtue.” That’s why people say lanterns and bamboo mean: lots of kids, lots of luck, and kindness that lasts a long, long time.

🎊Lantern Spectacular

Lanterns: the coolest folk customes ever!

Dress up time-- guess the hero in the light?

With every weave, the old craftsman threads the past,

and quietly weaves in new stories too.

Painting lanterns,making them pretty.

And drawing happy faces on good luck!

🎬Journey into the Lantern Wonderland

Come with the camera--let's peek into the world of oil paper lanterns and find the New Yeaar happiness.

Endless Lights, Timeless Stories

Putian’s Oil-Paper Lanterns: little lights that tell stories — warming up traditions and wishes with every glow.

Next light? Let’s shine a brand-new story together!

📚Source:

Baidu Baike

putian