Lanterns light up upcoming festival

Lantern festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, also marks the end of the lunar New Year celebrations. Lanterns have been flying off the shelves way ahead of the festival. While hand-made lanterns are losing their cultural place in some parts of China, there are those of the younger generation that are doing their bit keeping the tradition alive.

Lantern booths line the streets of the city of Taizhou, in Jiangsu Province. Those shaped like planes or other toys are popular with young ones, while zodiac animals also sell well. But it's hard to find lanterns shaped like this year's zodiac sign snake, because of many people's associations with the animal.

"I have never seen a lantern shaped like the snake that was beautiful."

A vendor said, "In the last zodiac year of snake, lanterns made in resemblance of that animal were too real, which scared people away. So this year we haven't bought in any like that."

After years of evolvement, paper lanterns have been gradually replaced by plastic ones. So booths selling paper lanterns are hard to find. According to the vender, paper lanterns are sold at twice the price of the plastic ones. But they are time-consuming to make, and while it makes up in tradition, it lacks the fun features that can be had with plastic lanterns equipped with electronic gadgets.

Master Chen, a veteran paper lantern maker says making one lantern takes seven procedures. On top of materials that cost more, profit is low.

Master Chen, lantern maker, said, "When I was young I made twenty lanterns a day, but now I can only make 4 or 5."

Master Chen says those who favor the handmade lanterns are searching for the festive atmosphere they encapsulate. Another lantern maker Master Diao says he is worried about the craft dying out.

Master Diao, lantern maker, said, "Young people don't want to learn it. Sometime you would hurt your hand, or the glue would smudge your clothes."

But not these youngsters, students at an elementary school in Deqing County of Zhejiang Province have made more than a thousand lanterns, and with discarded materials. There's certainly plenty of imagination floating around here. They come from gift boxes, dustbins and disposable cups. This one is made from bamboo, cotton and socks, while this worm like one is from iron wire, paper and foam. Perhaps Master Diao can look here for a revived interest in handmade lanterns.