A paper lantern is a

lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...

made of thin, brightly colored paper. Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. In their simplest form, they are simply a

paper bag A paper bag is a bag made of paper, usually kraft paper. Paper bags can be made either with virgin or recycled fibres to meet customers' demands. Paper bags are commonly used as shopping bag, shopping carrier bags and for packaging of some co ...

with a

candle A candle is an ignitable candle wick, wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a Aroma compound, fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. ...

placed inside, although more complicated

s consist of a collapsible

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

or metal frame of hoops covered with tough

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

Origin

Paper lanterns are likely derived from earlier lanterns that used other types of translucent material like

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...

, or animal skin. The material covering was used to prevent the flame in the lantern from being extinguished by wind, while still retaining its use as a light source. Papermaking technology originated from China from at least AD 105 during the

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, but it is unknown exactly when paper became used for lanterns. Poems about paper lanterns start to appear in Chinese history at around the 6th century. Paper lanterns were common by the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

(AD 690–705), and it was during this period that the first annual lantern festival was established. From China, it was spread to neighboring cultures in

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

, and

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

Types

There are three general types of paper lanterns, they are: *Hanging lantern – the basic type of paper lantern used for illumination. They are meant to be carried, hung, or mounted on stands. *

Sky lantern A sky lantern (), also known as Kǒngmíng lantern (), or Chinese lantern, is a small balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a small fire is suspended. Sky lanterns have been made for centuries in cultures around the worl ...

– a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where a small fire is suspended. Also known as "flying lanterns", "sky candles" or "fire balloons." *

Water lantern A water lantern is a type of lamp that floats on the surface of the water. It is also known as a floating lamp, river lamp or lake lamp, depending on the water body on which it is floated. The water lantern originated in India and later spread t ...

– paper lanterns that float on the surface of water.

By region

In addition to everyday usage as a light source in the past, paper lanterns are commonly associated with

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

s in

n, and

n cultures.

East Asia

China & Taiwan

Paper lanterns are called ''Dēnglóng'' () in China. File:ChiangKaiShek-MemorialHall-LanternFestival.jpg,

Lantern festival The Lantern Festival ( zh, t=wikt:元宵節, 元宵節, s=wikt:元宵节, 元宵节, first=t, hp=Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival ( zh, t=上元節, s=上元节, first=t, hp=Shàngyuán jié) and Cap Go Meh ( zh, t=十五暝, ...

at the

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall ( zh, t=中正紀念堂, p=zhōngzhèng jìniàntáng, poj=Tiong-chèng-kí-liām-tn̂g) is a national monument and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of C ...

in Taiwan File:London's Chinatown.jpg, alt=Lanterns above the street in London's Chinatown, Lanterns above the street in London's Chinatown

Japan

In Japan the traditional styles include ''

bonbori The traditional lighting equipment of Japan includes the , the , the , and the . The is a lamp consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal. The paper protected the flame from the wind. Burning oil in a stone, metal, ...

'' and ''chōchin'' and there is a special style of lettering called '' chōchin moji'' used to write on them. File:Japanese Lantern Makers.jpg, Japanese Lantern Makers, photo by

T. Enami was the trade name of a Meiji period Japanese photographer. The T. of his trade name is thought to have stood for ''Toshi'', though he never spelled it out on any personal or business document. Biography Born in Edo (now Tokyo) during the ''Baku ...

File:Ikuta jinja Chochin.JPG, A

chochin The traditional lighting equipment of Japan includes the , the , the , and the . The is a lamp consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal. The paper protected the flame from the wind. Burning oil in a stone, metal, ...

lantern from Japan File:Aki-no-nanakusa 01.JPG, Hexagonal

lamps the

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

Southeast Asia

Philippines

In the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, a traditional paper lantern is the

parol A parol (, , also written as paról or parul, from Spanish ''farol'', meaning ''lantern'') is a Filipino ornamental lantern displayed during the Christmas season. Parols are traditionally constructed using bamboo and Japanese paper, and ar ...

, which is regarded an iconic symbol of Filipino Christmas. Traditionally constructed using

and

Japanese paper is traditional Japanese paper processed by hand using fibers from the inner bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub (''Edgeworthia chrysantha''), or the paper mulberry (''kōzo'') bush. ''Washi'' is generally tougher than ordinary p ...

, modern parols have been made using other materials such as

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

, and

capiz shell The windowpane oyster (''Placuna placenta'') is a bivalve marine mollusk in the family of Placunidae. It is edible, but valued more for its shell (and its rather small pearls). The oyster's shells have been used for thousands of years as a gla ...

s. Its most-common form is a

five-pointed star A five-pointed star (☆), geometrically an equilateral concave decagon, is a common ideogram in modern culture. Comparatively rare in classical heraldry, it was notably introduced for the flag of the United States in the Flag Act of 1777 and si ...

, although it can come in various shapes and sizes. Dating back to the

Spanish colonial period of the Philippines Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine ** Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, parols are a traditional part of the

Panunulúyan In the Philippines, Christmas (; ) is a major annual celebration, as in most countries of the Christian world. It is celebrated as a public holiday in the country on December 25, concurrent with other countries. As one of the two predominantly ...

pageant in the nine-day Christmas

Novena A novena (from , "nine") is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, when the ...

procession leading up to the

Simbang Gabi Simbang Gabi (; Filipino for "Night Mass") is a devotional, nine-day series of Masses attended by Filipino Catholics in anticipation of Christmas. It is similar to the nine dawn Masses leading to Christmas Eve practiced in Puerto Rico called ...

(midnight mass). It was initially rectangular or oblong in shape but eventually came to be made in various shapes. It became standardized to a five-pointed star (symbolizing the

Star of Bethlehem The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears in the nativity of Jesus, nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew Matthew 2, chapter 2 where "wise men from the East" (biblical Magi, Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. There, ...

) during the

American colonial period The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonization of the Americas, British colonies on the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–17 ...

. File:Simple capiz parol.jpg, A simple star-shaped

made of

s File:Parols For Sale.png, Parols for sale File:GLFjf1503 02.JPG, Programed electronic parols during the 2012

Giant Lantern Festival The Giant Lantern Festival (Kapampangan: ''Ligligan Parul'') is an annual festival held in mid-December in the City of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant parol lanterns. Because of the popularity of ...

San Fernando, Pampanga San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it h ...

Thailand

During the Yi Peng festival of Thailand, some people also decorate their houses, gardens, and temples with ''khom fai'' (), intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. ''Khom thue'' () are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, ''khom khwaen'' () are the hanging lanterns, and ''khom pariwat'' (), which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate ''Yi Peng'' celebrations can be seen in

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

, the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both ''Loi Krathong'' and ''Yi Peng'' are celebrated at the same time resulting in lights floating on the waters, lights hanging from trees/buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating in the sky. The tradition of ''Yi Peng'' was also adopted by certain parts of

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

during the 16th century. Thousands of sky lanterns called ''khom loi'' () are also released annually during the Yi Peng festival. However, this is a relatively new addition to the festival, only dating back to the first decade of the 21st century as part of tourism development. File:Yi peng sky lantern festival San Sai Thailand.jpg,

s in the sky on the night of Yi Peng in Thailand.

Vietnam

Two traditional festivals in

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

have prominent roles for lanterns: # Vu Lan on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

s traditionally would host the release of floating

water lantern A water lantern is a type of lamp that floats on the surface of the water. It is also known as a floating lamp, river lamp or lake lamp, depending on the water body on which it is floated. The water lantern originated in India and later spread t ...

s down river courses on small paper crafts with sticks of

incense Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremonial reasons. It ...

and written prayers. File:Wt-4368 PS.jpg, An old woman releases water lanterns in Hội An File:OMD40445 (27821684578).jpg, Buddhists and monks prepare to water lanterns on the occasion of Vu Lan #

Tết Trung Thu Tết Trung Thu ( vi-hantu, 節中秋) is a traditional Vietnamese festival held from the night of the 14th to the end of the 15th of the 8th lunar month (, ). Despite its Chinese origin, the festival has recently evolved into a children's festi ...

, (Mid-Autumn festival) also known as the Children's Festival (Tết Nhi Đồng) on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Children would parade in the streets with lit lanterns (''rước đèn'') with accompanying music and songs after sunset. The lanterns in this case are whimsical with a multitude of shapes and themes like fish, star... The lanterns are typically in transparent colored papers. File:Den_ong_sao.JPG, Star-shaped lanterns of tết Trung Thu. File:Star-shaped lanterns.jpg, Star-shaped lanterns File:The street of colourful lanterns - Léon Busy (1874-1951).jpg, The street of colourful lanterns - Léon Busy (1874-1951) In addition to the above two festivals, paper lanterns are also hung by Vietnamese people on the occasion of the

Tết Nguyên Đán Tết (, ), short for (; ), is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar and usually falls on January or February in the Gregorian calendar. is not to be con ...

to look forward to a good new year. File:Lantern, Viet - Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC02557.JPG, Paper lantern, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - Hanoi File:Dragon lantern in Bát Tràng (2018).jpg, Paper lanterns are hung during the Tết Nguyên Đán in

Bát Tràng Bát Tràng (literally: ''bát'' is bowl and ''tràng'' is workshop) is an old, well established village in the Gia Lâm district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It is about 13 km from central Hanoi. Bát Tràng is known throughout Vi ...

village File:Hanoi Old Quarter (25397128097).jpg, Paper lanterns in Hanoi's Old Quarter File:DGJ 1692 - Dai Trung Gate (3504183018).jpg, Đại Trung Gate,

Văn Miếu Văn Miếu (, chữ Hán: 文廟), literally translated as Temple of Literature (although a more accurate name should be Temple of Confucius, as ''Văn'' refers to Confucius), is a Temple of Confucius, temple dedicated to Confucius in Hanoi, north ...

Paper lanterns are also used to attract visitors, for example, Hoian city, a famous tourist destination of Vietnam, often hangs paper lanterns throughout the year to attract tourists. File:Lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam (25708206924).jpg File:Lanterns in Hoi An 6.jpg File:Hoi An (25653775177).jpg File:Wt-4418EX4.5.jpg, Paper Lanterns in the streets of Hội An File:Thương xá Tax - 14780682928.jpg, Paper Lanterns in Thương xá Tax

Malaysia & Singapore

Paper lanterns are used especially in Chinatown areas in countries having notable Chinese ethnicity heritage. File:Paper lanterns and mural in Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Lanterns in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur File:Paper lanterns in Kuala Lumpur.jpg, Lanterns in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur File:Paper lanterns in Singapore.jpg, Lanterns at Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in

Chinatown, Singapore Chinatown is a subzone and ethnic enclave located within the Outram, Singapore, Outram district in the Central Area, Singapore, Central Area of Singapore. This area encompasses five precincts in Singapore: Kreta Ayer, Ann Siang/Club Street, ...

File:Chinese lanterns in the side of Buddha Tooth Relic temple.jpg, Lanterns at Buddha Tooth Relic temple File:Chinese lanterns yellow model.jpg, Lanterns in Singapore during

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...

South Asia

India

In India, star shaped paper lanterns hold cultural and religious significance and are widely used during festivals, particularly

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

—the Hindu Festival of Lights. These lanterns, known locally as ''

kandil Kandil (from ) refers to five Islamic holy nights, celebrated in Ottoman and Muslim Balkan communities, related to the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, when the minarets are illuminated and special prayers are made. It is a tradition dated b ...

'' or ''akash kandil'' in

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

, are traditionally hung outside homes to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness. They are often handmade and vary in design, with intricate cutwork patterns, vibrant colours, and symmetrical shapes, making them an integral part of the festival's visual celebration of light and joy. Paper Star Lantern in India

Sri Lanka

Colorful paper lanterns called V''esak Kuudu'' are hung outside houses during the Buddhist festival of

Vesak Vesak (; Sanskrit: '), also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Visak Bochea and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhism, Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as in Tibet and Mongolia. It is among the ...

. File:Vesak.JPG, Traditional Vesak lanterns during

in Sri Lanka File:Vesak Festive Adornments, Jaffna.jpg, Floating lanterns float along a lake during Vesak in Sri Lanka

Americas

United States

Placing candles or

tea light A tealight (also tea-light, tea light, tea candle, or informally tea lite, t-lite or t-candle) is a candle in a thin metal or plastic cup so that the candle can liquefy completely while lit. They are typically small, circular, usually wider than ...

s in a succession of small paper bags (known as

luminarias Luminaria is a term used in different parts of the world to describe various types of Christmas lights, holiday lights, usually displayed during Christmas. In English, the term most commonly refers to a specific type of simple paper lantern ...

or farolitos) is a common

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

tradition in

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

. The tradition originated from the

paper lanterns of the

brought over to the Americas during the colonial period. File:Luminarias.jpg, Luminarias during Christmas in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

In photography

High-wattage paper lanterns are commonly used in lighting for motion picture productions. Commonly referred to as "China balls", they provide soft, edgeless light to a scene.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paper Lantern Chinese inventions Chinese New Year Light fixtures Paper products