Source: CCTV.com

04-17-2009 16:46

Sky-lantern releasing in Pingxi of Taiwan is quite a splendid activity on the night of the Lantern Festival. When talking about the origin of the sky lantern in Pingxi, it can be traced back to the early years when the pioneers often got robbed and murdered in the remote mountainous area of Pingxi Township, Taipei County. To facilitate communication, the pioneers usually inform each other of their own safety by releasing a sky lantern. Having been passed down until now, the sky-lantern releasing in Pingxi has no longer assumed the function of communication, but has evolved into a sight-seeing activity on the night of the Lantern Festival and a symbol for tourists to pray for blessings or make a pledge to a deity.

The beehive fireworks in Wumiao, Yanshui of Tainan County are well-known home and abroad. It is said that during the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a rampant plague in and around Yanshui area, which made the local people almost impossible to live. To pray Lord Guan (Guan Yu) to show his omnipotence and save people from misery, the locals carried the statue of Lord Guan around the area for three consecutive days from January 13 to 15. Wherever the statue went, people shot off fireworks and firecrackers, hoping to eradicate the plague. It turned out that the plague disappeared and the area went back to peace and stability. To express their gratitude towards Lord Guan, the local people established that they would shoot off fireworks every year on the Lantern Festival, making Yanshui a nightless town on that night.

 

Editor:Zhao Yanchen