Quanzhou Lanterns
A Feast of Light and Shadow in the Ancient Maritime Silk Road City
🏮Introduction
Quanzhou lanterns? They’re like magic boxes of light with over a thousand years of history! Born in the Tang Dynasty and blooming in the Song and Yuan, each one is made with special tricks: paper-cutting, needle-pricking, and silk-inlaying. Some are tied, some are cut, some are pricked — but all are tiny masterpieces of clever design. Mixing local music, folk art, and craft skills, they create a magical world where the city lives inside the lanterns, and the lanterns light up the whole city.
📍Stories
The Magic Lantern Show of the Tang Palace
“During the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty, Minister Fu Shi was granted a portrait of Emperor Taizong, and upon arriving in Fujian, he built the Tang Palace in Quanzhou’s Wurong. In the court ceremonies, he introduced a ritual of lantern-lighting to pray for the emperor’s blessing. From then on, lanterns gradually became a festive custom. It was, in essence, the ancient palace light show—a ritual of prayer transformed into a celebration for all.
Lantern Fever Sparked by a Royal Move
After the Jingkang Incident of the Song dynasty, the royal family migrated south to Quanzhou, bringing with them scholars, musicians, and craftsmen. The opulent courtly lifestyle and rituals soon influenced local customs, and lanterns flourished in this new setting. It was, in essence, an ancient cultural relocation—with the royal migration lighting up Quanzhou’s festivals.
The Enchanted Glow of Five-Colored Paper
In the mid-to-late Ming dynasty, Quanzhou’s lantern craftsmanship reached its peak. New techniques emerged—glass filaments, multicolored paper, and grass lanterns—turning simple materials into dazzling creations. At night, the lanterns shimmered like magic. It was, in essence, the ancient DIY special effects—where paper and glass conjured breathtaking light and shadow.
Li Yaobao’s Paper-Cut Lantern Miracle
Quanzhou’s paper-cutting master Li Yaobao pioneered the ‘paper-cut lantern.’ He assembled hollowed paper panels into a lantern body, then inlaid them with glass filaments, creating exquisite paper-cut filament lanterns. It was, in essence, the ancient paper-cut art meets light show—where artisans became magicians, conjuring brilliance from their hands.
🎊Lantern Spectacular
Elegant ones, graceful ones
lanterns have personalities too!
Come check them out!
The lantern family has arrived
and today’s spotlight? All mine!
Don’t blink
the elegant lantern lady is walking your way!
Come say hi!
Hehe
so many lantern styles!
Which one’s your favorite?
This lantern is like a little girl who loves to dress up
she even braids her hair with rainbow ribbons!
🎬Journey into the Lantern Wonderland
Boom boom boom~ Ta-da! Shine time!
📚Source:
Baidu Baike
Fujian Provincial Government Website
China Intangible Heritage Network
Quanzhou Civilization Website
Minnan Cultural Ecology Protective Zone
China News Network
Fujian Daily
The Paper