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When the fish lanterns are lit, the Spring Festival is around the corner

点亮鱼灯，年就不远了

As night falls, the fish lanterns are lit. and from candles for illumination to modern light
For approximately 800 years, every Spring Fes- bulbs. While these innovations have advanced the
tival, Zhanqi Village in Shexian County, Huang- art form, the dancers who bring the fish lanterns to
shan City, Anhui Province, has celebrated the life are increasingly aging.
vibrant fish and dragon lantern dances that light up At 48 years old, Zheng is regarded as a “young
the night. When you catch sight of the softly glow- person” in the village. To ensure a successful
ing fish lanterns gliding into the mountain villages performance of the fish lanterns, he needs to en-
and fields, it signals that the Spring Festival is just courage more villagers to join in. “When we were
around the corner. children, there weren’t many entertainment options
Zheng Dongjiao, the leader of the fish lantern during the Spring Festival—just a black-and-white
team in Zhanqi Village, shared that in ancient TV. The fish lanterns were what everyone looked
times, Huizhou had limited arable land. As a result, forward to the most. People would cheer, “Touch
many young people had to leave home at the age the fish’s head; enjoy a worry-free life,” prompting
of 13 or 14 to become apprentices or engage in both adults and children to eagerly rush over.”
trade. The performance of the fish lanterns during In the past few decades, two-thirds of the villag-
the Spring Festival serves as a symbol of reunion. ers in Zhanqi Village have left their hometown to
When the fish lantern performances begin, it signi- seek a living elsewhere. Zheng, too, had once gone
fies that the Spring Festival has arrived. to Ningbo City in Zhejiang Province for work.
Zheng, a native of Zhanqi Village, took over However, four years ago, when his eldest daughter
as the leader of the village’s fish lantern team four was preparing for the college entrance examination,
years ago. Each Spring Festival, he prepares in ad- he decided to return home to support her studies. It
vance for the fish lantern performances. was then that the village approached Zheng, asking
The first step involves crafting the fish lanterns. him to take over the fish lantern team and help pre-
To ensure they dance as smoothly as fish gliding serve this cherished tradition.
through water, the entire process must be executed A recent video of a performance sparked their
with precision. Fresh bamboo, aged two to three popularity on the Internet, giving Zheng hope of
years, is used for construction. The process begins attracting more young people to the fish lanterns.
with creating the fish skeleton, onto which rice pa- To ensure this year’s performance was successful,
per is then adhered. Various patterns symbolizing Zheng had been rehearsing diligently. Although
good fortune and happiness—such as auspicious the villagers he had gathered were no longer young
clouds, lotus flowers, and ruyi scepters—are painted and their movements weren’t as agile, they were
on the surface. The true essence and soul of the fish committed to creating the vivid, lively, and impos-
lanterns come to life during the performance, where ing fish lanterns that had defined their childhood,
their movements are so lively that it feels as if the fish hoping to share them with a wider audience.
are actually swimming. The fish lanterns illuminate the mountain vil-
The craftsmanship of fish lanterns has evolved lages of southern Anhui, and through Zheng’s live
over the past 800 years, transitioning from the broadcasts, the Zhanqi fish lanterns are reaching a
traditional use of rice paper to cloth for crafting, broader audience.