*Foshan Lantern

*Foshan Lantern

Nominating Unit: City of Foshan

Foshan lantern, popularly called Dengse (lantern color), is a kind of folk craftwork, an indispensable part in all sorts of festive activities in Foshan and its peripheral regions. In the Song Dynasty, people began the custom of feasting eyes on colorful lanterns in Lantern Festival as well in mid-autumn day. Thus, Foshan lantern arose as the time required. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, folk art competitions burgeoned in Foshan, among which Tidenghui, a kind of parade to showcase lanterns, was then particularly in vogue. Lantern-making then became an industry. As this industry prospered, Foshan Lantern became an art and craft of importance to the town-to-town trade and export business of Foshan.

Foshan lanterns are mainly made with bamboo strips, iron line, yarn paper, silk, combined with paper cuts, paint, as well as lighting fixture. They are categorized into bamboo lantern, yarn lantern, paper-cut lantern, and autumn lantern, according to their different materials.

Foshan lantern, known for its delicacy and fineness, has a smooth and sleek surface without showing out the skeleton. With the property of being waterproof and withstanding strong sun light, it adapts to all kinds of environment, so it can remain as it is for quite a long period. Foshan lantern, decorated with the brass paper-cut peculiar to Foshan, looks magnificent in its golden splendor. Foshan lanterns come in great variety, among which Fugui lantern, Dragon-boat lantern, Pagoda lantern, human form lantern, animal lantern, Pavilions lantern, and the lanterns in the shape of fl owers, fishes, insects, and fruits are typical. The lanterns are beautiful in their amazing colors in daylight, and then become resplendent in the night. Toupai lantern, as the most representative of Foshan lantern, is composed of three layers, on each of which lay pavilions and towers characteristic of China’s old architectural style. The lantern, as high as several meters, contains a big lamp which itself has a small lamp within. The chief lamp is ornamented with decorative lights. Foshan lantern boasts a rare superb complex of Chinese signs such as Chinese unicorn and dragon, phoenix, podaga, lotus-flower-shaped seat, and Chinese landscape painting.(https://www.daowen.com)

In the past, small and individual lanterns dominated Foshan lantern. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, large-scale combination lanterns, like Dacaiche lantern, huge shadowpicture lantern, decorated wagon lantern, have been developed while preserving the distinctive traditional styles. Huge dragon lantern, whose length ranges from 10 meters to several thousand meters, is creating a sight of spectacular grandeur. So far, 4 lanterns have been included in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Foshan lantern, as being most representative of festive lanterns in Southern China, is also a major type of Chinese traditional lanterns, with its long history and exquisite technical craftsmanship. It can be found in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other overseas Chinese habitats in Southeast Asia, Europe and America. Due to the impact of the mancet, the makings and sales of Foshan latern are unstable for its high cost. Besides, there is only one skillful craftsman, i.e. the 84-year-old Deng Hui, left. Therefore, Foshan Latern is facing the risk of extinguishing. To protect the folk art, urgent measures are to be taken.

Foshan lantern was selected into the list of the second batch of state-level intangible cultural heritage in 2008.