Palace Lantern
Palace lanterns are unique as traditional crafts even amongst the diverse lanterns of China. Originating in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it prospered in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and had a strong regional flavour. It refers mostly to lanterns used in the imperial palace. Palace lanterns are typically framed with high-quality wood and inlaid with silk, yarn, and glass. With candles placed in the middle and patterns painted on the outside, they are world-famous for their grace, magnificence, and regal splendor.
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Collection of the Chinese palace lanterns
The Chinese palace lantern, also known as Gongdeng, is one of the traditional folk artworks that could be used only in the imperial palace. These exquisite lanterns seem to be decorations more than lighting tools. During the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618), the emperor ordered the whole capital city be decorated with palace lanterns on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar, also known as the Lantern Festival. Since then, the Chinese decorate homes with lanterns on that day. Today is the Lantern Festival. Let’s take a look at some exquisite palace lanterns from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Chinese Palace Lantern
Interested in the Chinese palace lantern? Find out about this exquisite creation from the Chinese culture in our information guide. The lantern is a prominent symbol of the Chinese culture. This unique craftwork was first developed out of necessity as there was no other source of illumination at night time. With the passage of time however they became a means of interior decoration. The ordinary lantern transformed into the Chinese palace lantern. This was a far more ornate and highly decorated version of the orthodox lantern. The main aim of these lanterns was to serve as a center piece in an interior setting. The use of Chinese palace lanterns was popular in the homes of Chinese people. It was however most popularly used in public and private buildings. Today however the use of the Chinese palace lantern has spread to all corners of the world. Anyone looking to give an oriental touch to their home or office setting can make use of Chinese palace lanterns. The variety of Chinese palace lanterns that you will be able to get in the market today is sure to add lots of drama to your house. You will be able to find these lanterns that function as powered lamps hence you can actually make use of them to lighten up your home while livening it up as well. On the other hand you can find such Chinese palace lanterns that do not function as powered lamps. The advantage with such lanterns is that they can be hung in the most artistic of places without having to worry about the kind of light they would shed. You will often find Chinese palace lanterns decorated with images of dragons and phoenixes along with other symbols from the Chinese culture. The designers would often give the lantern a rosewood lacquer finish to add some class to the product. The use of glass panels is also a common feature in Chinese palace lanterns. A Chinese lantern could be made using a dozen or more painted glass panels. The artists would actually make use of these panels to create landscape scenes and other such imagery. The use of tassels was also another common feature in Chinese Palace lanterns. Tassels gave the creation its distinct Chinese feel. Red and yellow were the most commonly used colors for giving the lantern its Chinese touch. Today you will be able to find Chinese palace lanterns that can be hung from the ceiling or mounted on the walls. Each of them has its own different appeal. Wall mounted Chinese palace lanterns would make use of interesting glass panels that had designs on both sides thereby making them interchangeable. The wall mounted Chinese palace lanterns have been designed in such a way so as to fit over small light fixtures. On the contrary they can be used as a decoration on their own as well. Chinese palace lanterns have today become a means of making a fashion statement. They are widely available in the market and interested individuals have a plethora of options to choose from.
How to Make Your Chinese Lantern
When you think about Chinese symbols, the Chinese lantern is probably one of the first things that springs to mind. But why is the Chinese lantern so present and popular in China? Not a single Chinese festival happens without lanterns nowadays. How did that come to be? Let’s explore the history of Chinese lantern to learn why and let’s learn how to make our own! As you may know, tomorrow is the Chinese Lantern Festival in Philadelphia. Lantern festivals are popular in a lot of places in the world now, but the Chinese Lantern Festival in Philadelphia is particularly well known. It’s a huge event in which Chinese people and western people gather to celebrate the Chinese culture. If you’re lucky enough to go there, then you’ll see various types of Chinese lanterns created by Chinese artisans. You can also bring your own! Don’t have one? Not to worry, you’re going to learn to make a Chinese lantern today! So, you’ll be able to bring that one! Let’s start with a bit of history to learn where the Chinese lantern comes from and when its origin. This is the very first step to the process of making your own Chinese lantern. History of the Chinese Lantern Chinese Lanterns are a big part of the Chinese culture. The famous Chinese lanterns were invented under the Han dynasty (206 B.C-220 A.D), and were used as lights, in the first place. As the Emperor Liu Zhuang was Buddhist, monks started to light lanterns to show their respect to Buddha on the fifteenth day of the Chinese lunar calendar. Ancient Chinese temple or building entrance with beautiful red Chinese lanterns hanging Notice the Chinese lanterns hanging? After this day, Liu Zhuang and the following Emperors of the Han dynasty forced their citizens to light lanterns too and to hang them on their doors during the fifteenth day of the year. At first they were forced to do so, but people quickly started to think that lanterns brought their owners a peaceful and prosperous life because of the heat they produced. Under the Song dynasty (960-1279), lantern owners started to hide riddles in the Chinese lanterns to play little games together. Families hung very colorful lanterns on their doorstep and hid riddles inside of them. The riddles came from poems, well-known expressions, the Chinese language or from Chinese culture and legends. People passing by could guess the riddles. If someone had the right answer then they could win a prize. When is the Chinese lantern festival? Since the Hans, every fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the Chinese have celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival by hanging up lanterns with hidden riddles. The Chinese Lantern Festival is one of the most anticipated events by the Chinese each year as it’s a great time for families to gather, prepare and do many typical lantern festival activities together. The background is set, you now know everything about the Chinese lantern invention and the Chinese lantern festival history. Types of Chinese lanterns It’s time to spot the different kinds of lanterns, so you can choose the shape and color you prefer when you’ll make yours. If you go to Philadelphia or to China during the Chinese lantern Festival, you’ll see plenty of lanterns hung up. You’ll quickly see that modern Chinese lanterns now come in plenty of different shapes. However, the most traditional type of lantern is definitely a red Chinese lantern. Why red? The red color symbolizes prosperity for Chinese people, so red lanterns were and still are seen as a kind of lucky charms. The traditional Palace lantern Chinese lantern : the Palace lanterns A Palace lantern’s original shape is oval. The frame of the lantern is made of thin wood and then covered with the smoothest silk or even glass sometimes. Candles are placed inside the structure. Golden dragons and phoenixes are often depicted on the silk. Nowadays, these majestic lanterns are made by expert craftsmen and can be found in Chinese Palaces. The gauze lantern Chinese lantern : the gauze lantern Gauze lanterns are less expensive as they are made with cheaper materials such as bamboo for the structure and gauze that covers the whole structure. Contrary to the traditional Palace lanterns, the gauze lanterns are colorful and come in many different shapes. Red is of course the most common color for these lanterns. The shadow paper lanterns Chinese lantern : The shadow paper lanterns The shadow paper lantern is one of the oldest type of paper lanterns created by the Chinese. A shadow paper lantern looks like the red palace lanterns but it’s covered by two layers, instead of just one. Pictures are drawn on the first layer, and the second layer is left blank. When the lantern is lit, the heat makes a paper wheel inside the lantern rotate and the picture appear on the second layer. Magic! Modern Chinese lanternsThe modern Chinese lantern Today, a few lanterns are still handmade by craftsmen but most of the lanterns you’ll come across are printed on, thanks to modern technology. The advantage is that you can now find lanterns in all the shapes you want. A famous war hero, the Chinese zodiac animals, or even a lantern with Nincha’s shape would be doable! Guess the Chinese lantern riddles After learning about the various types of lanterns, let’s move to the second step of what makes a good homemade lantern, the riddles you hide in them! Ever since the Song, Chinese people love lantern riddles. The Lantern Festival may be the main time for lantern riddles but it’s still a ways away, so let me share some riddles with you now to put in your lantern to trick your friends! These following riddles are character riddles. You’ll need to guess the Chinese character the riddle is talking about. Post your answers in the comments below! 1. 一人一张口，口下长只手 yīrén yī zhāngkǒu, kǒu xià zhǎng zhī shǒu One person has one mouth, under which there is a hand. What Chinese character is the riddle about? 2. 摘掉穷帽子，摘掉穷根子 zhāi diào qióng màozi, zhāi diào qióng gēnzi Take off the torn hat, get rid of the root of poverty. Which Chinese character corresponds to this description? 3. 春节第一日 chūnjié dì yī rì The first day of the Spring Festival This one is an easy Chinese character, can you guess? How to make a Chines lantern How to make a Chinese lantern Now that you’ve seen how good Chinese people were at making Chinese lanterns, it’s your turn: make your own Chinese sky lantern and show us your skills! Choose which of these two tutorials you want to follow, get the material you need and have fun making your own Chinese lantern! The first Chinese lantern tutorial is by Lia Griffith Chinese lantern Tutorial to create your own lantern Not feeling confident with the glue gun? Not to worry, we have another tutorial to make a Chinese paper lantern for you! This tutorial is also easier to make with children. All you need is sheets of A4 paper and scissors. Final words Chinese lanterns have become very popular and representative of China all over the world. We hope this post about the history of the Chinese lanterns helped you see more clearly where Chinese lanterns come from, what meaning Chinese lanterns hold and why they’re so popular across the world. Be sure to share your lantern pictures with us! We can’t wait to see the beautiful Chinese lanterns you’ve made! Answers to the lantern riddles: 1. 拿 ná to catch 2. bā eight 3. 夫 fū husband Source images: modernkiddo; photoshelter; teachercn; yixubuy Pauline and The Nincha Team Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.
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1 Local palace lantern business saw a peak season as the traditional Chinese new year is approaching.
2 A woman paints decorative parts of palace lanterns in a factory in Pan'an, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 27, 2011.
3 The Chinese palace lantern is a popular decoration for the Spring Festival, Chinese new year on the Lunar calendar.