The Mid-Autumn Festival Lantern in Contemporary Hong Kong

Michael Kin Wai Siu discusses the autumn moon festival and its persistent icon in Chinese culture: the simple paper lantern. He traces the history of the lantern as a cultural expression of the Chinese people from its origin in the Shang Dynasty (1557-1027 BC) to its present form. In order to have n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Design issues 1998-09, Vol.14 (3), p.19-27
Main Author: Siu, Michael Kin Wai
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cartoons
Children
Chinese culture
Design volume
Earths Moon
Festivals
Harvest festivals
Lanterns
Natural satellites
Standard of living
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Summary:Michael Kin Wai Siu discusses the autumn moon festival and its persistent icon in Chinese culture: the simple paper lantern. He traces the history of the lantern as a cultural expression of the Chinese people from its origin in the Shang Dynasty (1557-1027 BC) to its present form. In order to have nighttime celebrations, lanterns were introduced during the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.), being associated with the fundamental functions and meanings of the festival: gathering thanksgiving, and praying. The Sung dynasty (906-1279 A.D.) practice of floating lanterns on rivers and streams replicated the Chung-yuan of floating lanterns to guide the spirits of those who died by drowning. Influenced by marketing, business, and social changes, the lanterns currently available are different from those in the past and include 'Hello-Kitty' lanterns as well as inflatable plastic lanterns, which have no traditional association with the meaning of the festival. Lanterns have moved from being festival-related and religious objects to not much more than toys and decorative items. Today, they are seen as merely a symbol of the festival and can be described as ironic metaphors for all of the products that are caught up in the changes of culture we face today.
ISSN:0747-9360
1531-4790
DOI:10.2307/1511891