Lantern Festival in Four Great Classical Novels, China

CCTV News:If "Laba" opens the prelude to the Spring Festival, then the Lantern Festival will draw a successful conclusion for the Spring Festival. Lantern Festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, has a history of more than 2,000 years in China. It can be called Chinese’s own "Carnival" and "Valentine’s Day". Since ancient times, there are countless stories related to the Lantern Festival, and the Lantern Festival has been mentioned many times in our traditional "Four Great Classical Novels". Let’s take a look at how the ancients celebrated the Lantern Festival through the TV series "Four Great Classical Novels".

Lantern Festival in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Lantern Festival is also called Lantern Festival. The custom of burning lanterns in Lantern Festival originated in the Han Dynasty, and there is a reference to Lantern Festival in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Back to the 69th, when talking about GengJi and other five people planning to crusade against Cao Cao in the Lantern Festival, Luo Guanzhong wrote, "On the fifteenth night of the first month, the sky was fine, the moon and the stars were shining, and lanterns were competing in six streets and three cities. I can’t help it, I can’t help it! "

Lantern Festival in Water Margin

The Lantern Festival in the Song Dynasty is grand in scale, and it is often full of lanterns. Besides watching lanterns, fireworks, playing with dragon lanterns, dancing lions, walking on stilts, boating and dancing yangko, as well as some traditional folk performances, all make the festive atmosphere more lively. In the 72nd chapter of Water Margin, Song Jiang led a group of heroes to visit Li Shishi in the capital of song dynasty during the Lantern Festival, hoping to harness the curve. Likui jy, who first arrived in Beijing, was dazzled by the festive and prosperous Lantern Festival in the capital city of Bianliang.

Lantern Festival in A Dream of Red Mansions

Apart from the lively lantern festival, the most important custom of the Lantern Festival is to eat Yuanxiao. Yuanxiao, also known as Tangyuan or Tangtuan, is similar to reunion, which means reunion, symbolizing family reunion, harmony and happiness. I would like to remind everyone here that Yuanxiao is delicious, but don’t be too impatient, otherwise this will happen.

In A Dream of Red Mansions, solve riddles on the lanterns is also one of the indispensable entertainments of Jia’s Lantern Festival. This custom appeared in the Song Dynasty and has been well received by all walks of life throughout its spread.

Lantern Festival in The Journey to the West

As "Four Great Classical Novels", in Journey to the West, in the 91st time, the Tang Priest and his disciples came to Jinping House in Tianzhu, and also caught a Lantern Festival. The lantern festival in the mythical world is more magnificent and unique, and it also has strong local characteristics. At the lantern festival, Tang Priest was brought back to the cave by three rhinoceros spirits.

When describing the Lantern Festival in Four Great Classical Novels, there is no exception to mention the appreciation of lanterns. No matter in which dynasty, the Lantern Festival is an indispensable element, and the custom of appreciating lanterns on Lantern Festival has been preserved to this day, becoming the highlight of Lantern Festival.