Misplaced Pages

#836163

59-511: During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns ( traditional Chinese : 猜燈謎 ; simplified Chinese : 猜灯谜 ; pinyin : cāidēngmí ). In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate lanterns. In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs. For example, lanterns are now often made in

118-441: A paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops covered with tough paper . Paper lanterns are likely derived from earlier lanterns that used other types of translucent material like silk , horn , or animal skin. The material covering was used to prevent the flame in the lantern from being extinguished by wind, while still retaining its use as

177-478: A commentary by Zhang Hua (232–300), is a geographically arranged collection of wonders and marvels. The (c. 300) Shizhou ji (十洲記 "Records of the Ten Continents") is a long speech by Dongfang to Emperor Wu on mythical geography, in which "this fangshi -adviser describes the outlying terrestrial paradises on each of the Ten Continents, four islands, and two mountains". During his lifetime, Dongfang Shuo

236-591: A five-pointed star (symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem ) during the American colonial period . During the Yi Peng festival of Thailand, some people also decorate their houses, gardens, and temples with khom fai ( Thai : โคมไฟ ), intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. Khom thue ( Thai : โคมถือ ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, khom khwaen ( Thai : โคมแขวน ) are

295-454: A great minister to the Son of Heaven. Daring death, I bow twice and submit this report. Based on these egregiously conceited words, the emperor concluded that Dongfang Shuo was extraordinary and "ordered him to await the imperial command in the office of public carriage." Dongfang was impatient for an imperial audience and devised a scheme that involved frightening the court dwarfs who worked in

354-568: A light source. Papermaking technology originated from China from at least AD 105 during the Eastern Han dynasty , but it is unknown exactly when paper became used for lanterns. Poems about paper lanterns start to appear in Chinese history at around the 6th century. Paper lanterns were common by the Tang dynasty (AD 690–705), and it was during this period that the first annual lantern festival

413-526: A result, he ordered all households, temples and the imperial palace to light lanterns on that evening. From there it developed into a folk custom. Another likely origin is the celebration of "the declining darkness of winter" and community's ability to "move about at night with human-made light," namely, lanterns. During the Han dynasty, the festival was connected to Ti Yin, the deity of the North Star . There

472-438: A scene. Dongfang Shuo Dongfang Shuo ( Chinese : 東方朔 , c. 160 BCE – c. 93 BCE) was a Han dynasty scholar-official , fangshi ("master of esoterica"), author, and court jester to Emperor Wu (r. 141 – 87 BCE). In Chinese mythology , Dongfang is considered a Daoist xian ("transcendent; immortal") and the spirit of Venus who incarnated as a series of ancient ministers including Laozi . Dongfang Shuo

531-469: A shrine are located. The Book of Han biography of Dongfang Shuo characterizes him as "rich in words, a man of jests and witticisms, an actor and a buffoon." In 138 BCE, Emperor Wu called for recommendations of individuals who were "honest and upright, worthy and good, or noted for scholarly or literary talents or unusual strength", offering to assign them official posts. While "thousands came forward to peddle and parade their abilities", Dongfang submitted

590-408: A stipend I too receive one sack of grain and 240 cash. The dwarfs are about to die from overeating, I am about to die of hunger. If my words are of any use, I hope I may be treated differently from them. If my words are of no use, then dismiss me. There's no point in merely keeping me around to eat up the rice of Chang'an!" The emperor roared with laughter and accordingly assigned him to await command at

649-407: A story about Emperor Wu encountering a monster blocking Hangu Pass , "Thirty or forty feet in length, its body resembled in shape that of a buffalo or an elephant. It had black eyes that blazed with light, and its four legs were so firmly planted in the ground that every effort to dislodge it was unavailing." All the courtiers were terrified except for Dongfang Shuo, who sprinkled gallons of wine over

SECTION 10

#1732765156837

708-399: A way to reunite her with her family. Shuo left the palace and set up a fortune-telling stall on the street. Due to his reputation, many people asked for their fortunes to be told but everyone got the same prediction – a calamitous fire on the fifteenth lunisolar day. The rumor spread quickly. Everyone was worried about the future so they asked Dongfang Shuo for help. Dongfang Shuo said that on

767-475: A wise man from another village suggested that every family should hang red lanterns around their houses, set up bonfires on the streets, and explode firecrackers on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth lunisolar days. This would give the village the appearance of being on fire to the Jade Emperor. On the fifteenth lunisolar day, troops sent down from heaven whose mission was to destroy the village saw that

826-657: Is a five-pointed star , although it can come in various shapes and sizes. Dating back to the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines , parols are a traditional part of the Panunulúyan pageant in the nine-day Christmas Novena procession leading up to the Simbang Gabi (midnight mass). It was initially rectangular or oblong in shape but eventually came to be made in various shapes. It became standardized to

885-550: Is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu (無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang. Dongfang Shuo's original Chinese surname was Zhang (張 meaning "stretch; spread"), which was later changed to an uncommon compound surname Dongfang (東方 "eastern direction; the east"). His Chinese given name was Shuo (朔 "new moon") and his courtesy name was Manqian (曼倩 "graceful handsome"). Owing to his eccentric and humorous behavior at

944-637: Is one legend that states that it was a time to worship Taiyi , the God of Heaven in ancient times. The belief was that Taiyi controlled the destiny of the human world. He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings. Beginning with Qin Shi Huang , the first emperor of China, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people. Emperor Wu of

1003-463: Is the Dragon Pole. This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a 38-meter-high pole, spewing fireworks from its mouth. Cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai have adopted electric and neon lanterns, which can often be seen beside their traditional paper or wooden counterparts. Another popular activity at this festival is guessing lantern riddles, a tradition which dates back to

1062-502: The Book of Han biography of Dongfang,. his two finest writings are the Da ke nan (答客難 "Replies to a Guest's Objections", oldest example of the shelun 設論 "hypothetical discourse" literary form), and Feiyou xiansheng lun (非有先生論 "An Essay by Elder Nobody". It further states that Book of Han bibliography (chapter 30, 藝文志 "Treatise on Literature") lists all of Dongfang's genuine writings, "but

1121-660: The Han dynasty directed special attention to this event. In 104 BC, he proclaimed it to be one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night. Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism . Tianguan is the Taoist deity responsible for good fortune. His birthday falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month. It is said that Tianguan likes all types of entertainment, so followers prepare various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune. Another legend associates with

1180-728: The Buddhist festival of Vesak . Placing candles or tea lights in a succession of small paper bags (known as luminarias or farolitos) is a common Christmas tradition in New Mexico . The tradition originated from the parol paper lanterns of the Philippines brought over to the Americas during the colonial period. High-wattage paper lanterns are commonly used in lighting for motion picture productions. Commonly referred to as "China balls", they provide soft, edgeless light to

1239-526: The Chinese Zodiac takes place. For example, 2022—the year of the tiger; 2023—the year of the rabbit (water rabbit); and so on. In the early days, young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope. As time has passed, the festival no longer has such implications in most of Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. Eaten during

SECTION 20

#1732765156837

1298-571: The Golden Horse Gate. Little by little, Shuo gained the confidence of the emperor. Humor is also recorded in a third Book of Han example. On a hot summer day, Emperor Wu ordered a gift of meat be given to his attendants, but the imperial butler was slow to distribute them. Dongfang drew his sword, cut off a piece of meat, put it into the breast of his robe, and said to his fellow officials, "In these hot days one ought to go home early. With your permission, therefore, I will take my gift." On

1357-474: The Han court in Chang'an , Dongfang was regarded as a court jester (Huaji 滑稽, "Buffoon") and he proclaimed himself the first chaoyin (朝隱 "recluse at court", punning yinshi 隱士 "recluse scholar; hermit"). When fellow courtiers called him crazy, Dongfang replied, "People like me are known as those who escape the world by taking it easy at court." The primary historical sources for Dongfang Shuo are biographies in

1416-489: The Han dynasty, Dongfang Shuo was a favorite adviser of the emperor. One winter day, he went to the garden and heard a little girl crying and getting ready to jump into a well to commit suicide. Shuo stopped her and asked why. She said she was Yuan-Xiao, a maid in the emperor's palace and that she never had a chance to see her family since she started working there. If she could not have the chance to show her filial piety in this life, she would rather die. Shuo promised to find

1475-403: The Lantern Festival with an ancient warrior named Lan Moon, who led a rebellion against the tyrannical king in ancient China. He was killed in the storming of the city and the successful rebels commemorated the festival in his name. Yet another common legend dealing with the origins of the Lantern Festival speaks of a beautiful crane that flew down to earth from heaven. After it landed on earth it

1534-495: The Lantern Festival, tangyuan '湯圓' (Southern China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia) or yuanxiao '元宵' (Northern China) is a glutinous rice ball typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter. Tangyuan is different from yuanxiao due to different manual making and filling processes. It can be boiled, fried or steamed, each has independent taste. However, they are very similar in shape and taste, so most people do not distinguish them for convenience and consider them as

1593-516: The Song dynasty. Lion dance ( 舞獅 ), walk on stilts ( 踩高蹺 ), riddle games ( 猜燈謎 ), dragon dances ( 耍龍燈 ) are very popular activities during the festival day and the days following. The lantern riddle, according to Japanese scholars, became popular as early as the Northern Song dynasty (960–1126). The lantern riddles are done by a host blocking one side of the lantern and pasting riddles on

1652-564: The Water Lantern Festival held in multiple locations in the United States . There are several beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival. However, its roots trace back more than 2,000 years and is popularly linked to the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han dynasty . Emperor Ming, an advocate of Buddhism, noticed Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month . As

1711-639: The above two festivals, paper lanterns are also hung by Vietnamese people on the occasion of the Tết Nguyên Đán to look forward to a good new year. Paper lanterns are also used to attract visitors, for example, Hoian city, a famous tourist destination of Vietnam, often hangs paper lanterns throughout the year to attract tourists. Paper lanterns are used especially in Chinatown areas in countries having notable Chinese ethnicity heritage . Colorful paper lanterns called vesak kuudu are hung outside houses during

1770-528: The big cities in China. Today, the displaying of lanterns is still a major event on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar month throughout China. Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in Culture Park. During the Lantern Festival, the park is a virtual ocean of lanterns. Many new designs attract large numbers of visitors. The most eye-catching lantern

1829-446: The city should hang red lantern and explode fire crackers. Lastly, everyone in the palace and people outside the city should carry their lanterns on the street to watch the lantern decorations and fireworks. The Jade Emperor would be deceived and everyone would avoid the disastrous fire. The emperor happily followed the plan. Lanterns were everywhere in the capital city on the night of the fifteenth lunisolar day and people were walking on

Lantern Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue

1888-627: The early Chinese dynastic Twenty-Four Histories . The (91 BCE) Records of the Grand Historian includes him under the "Biographies of Jesters" chapter (126, 滑稽列傳), which was appended by Chu Shaosun (褚少孫, c. 105 – c. 30 BCE). The (111 CE) Book of Han gives him a full "Biography of Dongfang Shuo" chapter (65, 東方朔傳). Dongfang Shuo was a native of Yanci ( 厭次 ) in Pingyuan ( 平原 ), present-day Ling County in Shandong , where his tomb and

1947-415: The emperor the decree which stated that the capital city would burn down on the fifteenth. When the emperor asked Dongfang Shuo for advice, the latter said that the God of Fire liked to eat tangyuan (sweet dumplings). Yuan-Xiao should cook tangyuan on the fifteenth lunisolar day and the emperor should order every house to prepare tangyuan to worship the God of Fire at the same time. Also, every house in

2006-451: The following self-description to the throne. When I was young, I lost my father and mother and was brought up by my older brother and his wife. At the age of twelve I began to study writing, and after three winters I knew enough to handle ordinary texts and records. At fifteen I studied fencing; at sixteen, the Songs and History ; and soon I had memorized 220,000 words. At nineteen I studied

2065-470: The gala performances. By the beginning of the Tang dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days. The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night. It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene. In the Song dynasty , the festival was celebrated for five days and the activities began to spread to many of

2124-528: The hanging lanterns, and khom pariwat ( Thai : โคมปริวรรต ), which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai , the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in lights floating on the waters, lights hanging from trees/buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating in

2183-419: The little lady – how big-hearted!" The emperor laughed and said, "I told you to confess your faults and here you are praising yourself!" Then he presented him with a further gift of a gallon of wine and a hundred catties of meat and told him to take them home to "the little lady." Dongfang Shuo wrote various texts, essays, and poems; other writings attributed to him are doubted by textual scholars. According to

2242-525: The monster, which gradually melted away. He explained to the emperor, "This may be called the product of an atmosphere of sorrow and suffering," the site of either a Qin dynasty dungeon or corvée labor by criminals. "Now, wine has the power to banish grief, and that is why it was able to dispel this phantom." The emperor exclaimed, "Oh, man of much learning, to think that your knowledge can extend as far as this!" The (c. 6th century) Han Wudi neizhuan ("Outer Biography of Emperor Wu") tells of Dongfang leaving

2301-458: The next day at court, Dongfang Shuo apologized for his violation of etiquette to the emperor, who commanded, "Stand up, sir, and confess your faults." Shuo bowed twice and said. "All right now, Shuo! You accepted the gift without waiting for the imperial command – what a breach of etiquette! You drew your sword and cut the meat – what singular daring! When you carved it up, you didn't take much – how abstemious of you! You took it home and gave it to

2360-637: The other pieces that are passed around these days are completely spurious". An example of the latter is the Qijian (七諫 " Seven Admonishments ") poem in the Chuci , which Wang Yi's (2nd century) commentary attributes to Dongfang. David Hawkes concludes, "Nothing that we know about Dong-fang Shuo leads us to suppose he … is likely to have been a writer in the poetry of Chu style". Two early texts are traditionally attributed to Dongfang Shuo. The (c. late 2nd century) Shenyi jing (神異經 "Classic on Divine Marvels"), with

2419-509: The prolongation of life, and found him full of shrewdness and insight. His own contemporaries all describe him as the prince of good fellows, and irresistible in argument." Both the (c. 3rd century) Han Wudi gushi ("Precedents of Han Emperor Wu") and Buowuzhi ("Monograph on Various Matters") record a myth about Xi Wangmu ("Queen Mother of the West") presenting the "peaches of immortality" to Han Emperor Wu. She brought seven peaches, "each only

Lantern Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue

2478-431: The remaining three sides of the lanterns. Participants will guess the blocked side by solving the riddles, which is called "breaking/solving lantern riddles". The theme of riddles can be drawn from classics, biographies, poetry, the various philosophers' well-known stories and novels, proverbs, (the names of) all kinds of birds, animals, and insects, as well as flowers, grasses, vegetables, and herbs. Participants can tear off

2537-452: The riddle of the lantern and let the host verify their answers. Those who answer the correct answer can get a "riddle reward", including ink, paper, writing brushes, ink slabs, fans, perfumed sachets, fruit, or eatables. Paper lantern A paper lantern is a lantern made of thin, brightly colored paper. Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply

2596-449: The same thing. Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family togetherness, and that eating tangyuan or yuanxiao may bring the family harmony, happiness and luck in the new year. During the Sui dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yang invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colourful lighted lanterns and enjoy

2655-657: The shape of animals. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune. The festival acts as an Uposatha day on the Chinese calendar. It should not be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival ; which is sometimes also known as the "Lantern Festival" in locations such as Indonesia , Malaysia , and Singapore . Lantern Festivals have also become popular in Western countries, such as

2714-513: The size of a pill, five of which she presented to the Emperor, and ate the other two herself." The Queen Mother recognized Dongfang as a courtier of hers at Mount Kunlun and told the Emperor he was "an incarnation of the planet Jupiter who has been temporarily banished to earth for stealing her peaches of immortality". The (c. 335–349) Soushenji ("Records of an Inquest into the Sacred") tells

2773-525: The sky. The tradition of Yi Peng was also adopted by certain parts of Laos during the 16th century. Thousands of sky lanterns called khom loi ( Thai : โคมลอย ) are also released annually during the Yi Peng festival. However, this is a relatively new addition to the festival, only dating back to the first decade of the 21st century as part of tourism development. Two traditional festivals in Vietnam have prominent roles for lanterns: In addition to

2832-418: The stable. He told them the emperor was going to have them killed because they could not do the work of ordinary men, and suggested that the next time Wu passed by, they should kowtow and beg for mercy. After a while, word came that the emperor was on his way. The dwarfs all wailed and bowed their heads, and when the emperor asked them why they were doing that, they relied, "Dongfang Shuo told us Your Majesty

2891-402: The street and there were noisy firecrackers. It looked as if the entire city was on fire. Yuan-Xiao's parents went into the palace to watch the lantern decorations and were reunited with their daughter. The emperor decreed that people should do the same thing every year. Since Yuan-Xiao cooked the best tangyuan , people called the day Yuan-Xiao Festival. For each Festival celebrated, a switch in

2950-407: The thirteenth lunisolar day, the God of Fire would send a fairy in red riding a black horse to burn down the city. When people saw the fairy they should ask for her mercy. On that day, Yuan-Xiao pretended to be the red fairy. When people asked for her help, she said that she had a copy of a decree from the God of Fire that should be taken to the emperor. After she left, people went to the palace to show

3009-509: The time of Emperor Zhao of Han (r. 87 – 74 BCE), "some people thought he was a sage; others found him ordinary. His behavior varied between depth and shallowness, brazenness and withdrawal. At times his words were full of loyalty, then again he made jokes. Nobody could figure him out." At beginning of Emperor Xuan of Han 's reign (91 BCE), Dongfang resigned from his position, left his official residence, and went "drifting off to wherever chance might take him. … Among wise men some suspected that he

SECTION 50

#1732765156837

3068-457: The traditional styles include bonbori and chōchin and there is a special style of lettering called chōchin moji used to write on them. In the Philippines , a traditional paper lantern is the parol , which is regarded an iconic symbol of Filipino Christmas . Traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper , modern parols have been made using other materials such as plastic , metal , and capiz shells . Its most-common form

3127-413: The village was already ablaze, and returned to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor. Satisfied, the Jade Emperor decided not to burn down the village. From that day on, people celebrate the anniversary on the fifteenth lunisolar day every year by carrying lanterns on the streets and exploding firecrackers and fireworks. Another legend about the origins of Lantern Festival involves a maid named Yuan-Xiao. In

3186-561: The works on military science by Masters Sun and Wu, the equipment pertaining to battle and encampment, and the regulations concerning drum and gong. Once more I memorized 220,000 words, so that in all I could recite 440,000 words. In addition I always kept in mind Zilu 's words. I am twenty-two years in age, measuring nine feet three inches [the chi "Chinese foot" was about 24 cm.], have eyes like pendant pearls, teeth like ranged shells, and am as brave as Meng Ben, nimble as Qingji, scrupulous as Bao Zhu, and loyal as Wei Sheng. I am fit to become

3245-552: Was considered a zhexian (謫仙 "banished immortal"). In the Six dynasties period (222–589 CE), Dongfang Shuo became the hero of many legends and stories. He was supposedly an embodiment of Sui (歲 " Jupiter ") or Taibai (太白 " Venus "), had a miraculous birth, possessed supernatural powers, and went through numerous reincarnations, including Laozi and Fan Li . Liu Xiang 's (c. 77-6 BCE) Liexian Zhuan ("Biographies of Exemplary Transcendents") has an early description of Dongfang Shuo. By

3304-603: Was established. From China, it was spread to neighboring cultures in East Asia , Southeast Asia , and South Asia . There are three general types of paper lanterns, they are: In addition to everyday usage as a light source in the past, paper lanterns are commonly associated with festivals in East Asian , Southeast Asian , and South Asian cultures. Paper lanterns are called Dēnglóng ( simplified Chinese : 灯笼 ; traditional Chinese : 燈籠 ) in China. In Japan

3363-413: Was going to have us all executed!" The emperor, knowing that Shuo was a man of many devices, summoned him and asked him what he meant by terrifying the dwarfs in this fashion. Shuo replied, "I will speak out, whether it means life or death for me! The dwarfs are somewhat over three feet in height, and as a stipend they receive one sack of grain and 240 cash each. I am somewhat over nine feet in height, and as

3422-468: Was hunted and killed by some villagers. This angered the Jade Emperor in heaven because the crane was his favorite. So, he planned a storm of fire to destroy the village on the fifteenth lunisolar day. The Jade Emperor's daughter warned the inhabitants of her father's plan to destroy their village. The village was in turmoil because nobody knew how they could escape their imminent destruction. However,

3481-499: Was really an incarnation of the essence of the planet Jupiter." The (c. 195 CE) Fengsu tongyi ("Comprehensive Accounts of Popular Customs"), which repeats Dongfang's conceited self-recommendation, says he was "commonly said to be the spirit of the planet Venus, and to have passed through a number of incarnations." When Dongfang was a court official, "he kept a troupe of singers and actors, and did not concern himself with State business. [Liu Xiang] in his youth often questioned him about

#836163