Zibo lantern making is one of the national intangible cultural heritage items that not only bore witness to the past glories of East China's Shandong province, but also continue to shine today.
Zibo, one of the cradles of China's traditional lanterns, boasts an over 2,000-year history of making lanterns and has developed its own style through innovations. The traditional handicraft was included in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2014.
A lantern exhibition in Zhoucun district of Zibo. [Photo/WeChat account: zibofabu2014]
The handicraft art flourished in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and then developed into two main styles, Boshan Lantern and Zhoucun Lantern, with the rise of the ceramic glaze industry in Boshan district and the silk industry in Zhoucun district.
The Boshan lantern has a wood frame with colored glaze decorations. The paintings on the lantern usually focus on the theme of filial piety, with the most common lantern series centered around the filial conduct of a woman named Yan Wenjiang in a legendary tale widely known by locals.
The Zhoucun lanterns are made of silk and decorated with colored paintings, paper cutting, and Chinese calligraphy. Folklore, stories about Chinese set phrases, natural landscapes, as well as flowers and birds are the main characteristic elements on them.
A deer-like lantern is displayed at a lantern show in Yudai Lake Scenic Area of Zibo. [Photo/WeChat account: zibofabu2014]
