The core essence of the Southern Lantern City lies in the world-renowned Zigong Lantern Festival, celebrated far and wide. The formation of the Southern Lantern City has been shaped primarily by the flourishing development of the Zigong Lantern Festival. It has gradually taken shape through the infusion of lantern culture into various aspects of the city, including urban construction, street scenes and residential architecture, festivals and celebrations, social life, and cultural arts.

The historical evolution and progression of the Zigong Lantern Festival form the cultural lineage of the Southern Lantern City. As recorded in the Annals of Rong County: "The New Year lantern festival in Rong County is exceptionally grand, with pavilions being the prime attraction. Locals commonly call them ‘pavilions,’ with several such structures throughout the city, each uniquely designed. Rising several stories high, they feature intricately carved beams and spring-inspired assemblies, adorned with colorful calligraphy and paintings, embedded with lights like stars. Each pavilion held four to five hundred lamps, radiating dazzling splendor. Even Western visitors were delighted, remarking that such sights were unseen in the capital." This evidence confirms that by the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, the Zigong Lantern Festival had already gained prominence, its scale and grandeur rivaling those of the capital and major cities. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the practice of lighting lanterns for the New Year and decorating with festive lights around the Lantern Festival gradually took root in the Zigong region. At that time, folk performances such as acrobatics and juggling were also common during these lantern-lighting celebrations, greatly entertaining the crowds. In the second year of the Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1175), Lu You wrote in his poem “Qin Yuan Chun”: “Parted from Qin Tower, in the blink of an eye, spring returns, and lanterns are lit once more.” This indicates that hanging and lighting lanterns during the New Year had become an established folk custom in the Zigong region by that time. Of course, this differed from the fully formed lantern festival that would later emerge. Thus, the Tang and Song dynasties represent the embryonic or initial phase of Zigong''''''''s lantern festival. The festival took shape during the Qingming period, gradually evolving into a large-scale folk cultural event with relatively fixed connotations, held during specific periods, and possessing a distinct lineage of transmission. Along the developmental trajectory of Zigong''''''''s lantern festival during the Ming and Qing dynasties, several key nodes emerged, becoming distinctive local features and highlights of the festival.

One such highlight is the Sky Lantern Festival. Beginning on the seventh day of the first lunar month, temples and shrines would erect lantern poles, hang red lanterns, and hold sacrificial ceremonies. This event was known as the Sky Festival or Sky Lantern Festival. Temples were adorned with lanterns and decorations, with lantern poles standing before them bearing 33 to 36 lanterns. Smaller temples would light the “Nine Emperor Lanterns,” featuring nine lanterns on each side of the pole. The duration of the lantern display ranged from a minimum of three days to over a month, depending on the amount of lamp oil donated by devout believers. The climax of the Sky Lantern Festival occurs on the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. After nightfall, besides lighting the tall lantern poles and holding lanterns high in front of and inside the temples, fireworks and firecrackers are set off, dragon and lion dances are performed, and various acrobatic shows take place. 

The second major festival was the Five Emperors Lantern Festival, an extension of the Sky Lantern Festival. In the Gongjing area, a temple named “Five Emperors Cave” was said to have originated from a mountain cave. After its establishment, the temple became a place of intense religious devotion. From the Winter Solstice to the Spring Festival, the temple was adorned with lanterns and decorations. Worshipers came to pay homage to the Five Emperors, and those making or fulfilling vows carried offerings in a continuous stream. From the eighth day of the first lunar month, lantern poles were erected and red lanterns lit, culminating in peak worship activities on the fifteenth day—the Lantern Festival. Nightfall brought fireworks displays and firecracker blasts, creating an extraordinary, all-night revelry.

Third was the Floating River Lanterns, also known as Releasing River Lanterns. Historical records indicate that during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Guojing Guizhou Temple already hosted Ullambana festivals. The festival lasts 5 to 7 days, featuring activities like floating river lanterns and offering food to the hungry ghosts. In the Zigong area, the Ullambana Festival and floating river lanterns typically begin two days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month. Vegetarian offerings are made to the Buddha, prayers are offered, and prostrations are performed, seeking the great compassion of the Bodhisattva to rescue ancestors and liberate the spirits of the deceased. Sutra recitations and rituals are performed, along with water-land ceremonies, to appease wandering spirits and prevent them from disturbing the mortal realm. Monks and devotees gather at riverbanks and ponds. Amidst chanting and prayers, they place the river lanterns on the water to drift freely. The foremost lanterns, collectively called “lotus seed lanterns” or “carp lanterns,” are designated as the “leading lanterns.” The remaining lanterns, mostly red, cone-shaped paper lanterns, follow behind, also set adrift. Sometimes the river lantern release occurs at night. The lanterns, like a starry sky, flow slowly, evoking profound imagination and presenting a magnificent sight.

The fourth tradition is the “Imperial Festival,” the most grand of which occurred in the first year of the Xuantong reign (1909) during the late Qing Dynasty. That year, Emperor Guangxu passed away, Emperor Xuantong ascended the throne, and Prince Chun served as regent. Zigong hosted a grand lantern festival dubbed the “Imperial Festival.” The memorial hall for Emperor Guangxu was set up at the West Qin Guild Hall, adorned with colorful lanterns throughout. Centering on this hall, the “Hiding Under the Sky” displays were arranged along three main routes, encompassing nearly all streets in the Ziliu region—an unprecedented scale. At nightfall, when the lanterns were lit, strolling through the streets immersed one in a ten-mile river of light. This “Hide the Sky, Cross the Sea” spectacle dazzled with vibrant colors by day and brilliant lights by night, drawing throngs of visitors and creating extraordinary bustle.

In Zigong''''''''s lantern festivals, dragon lantern performances—also known as dragon dances or dragon lantern displays—accompanied the celebrations. Traditionally, lanterns were unveiled on the first day of the lunar new year and retired on the sixteenth. By the late Qing and Republican eras, festival activities expanded to include events like the Lantern Procession. Historical records indicate Zigong''''''''s Lantern Procession originated during the Qing Dynasty. During the Lantern Festival, people would carry lanterns while visiting neighbors, and children would showcase their handmade lanterns to compete for the best designs. From the Qing Dynasty to the early Republic era, the Ziliujing salt merchant families organized successive processions during the Lantern Festival period, led by festive drum bands and featuring lantern-carrying parades. Leading the procession were a pair of large gauze lanterns, followed by four or five pairs of round lanterns. Next came rectangular lanterns made of bamboo frames covered with oiled paper, each bearing vermilion characters indicating the family name and ancestral hall. Behind these square lanterns were bamboo torches (bright tubes), followed by another group of lantern bearers accompanied by New Year drum and gong bands. The surging crowds of lantern bearers and spectators filled the streets to overflowing. From the victory of the Xinhai Revolution until the founding of the People''''''''s Republic, the Lantern Festival was generally held on October 10th each year. Lantern artisans displayed remarkable creativity, crafting diverse designs—mostly depicting flowers, plants, insects, fish, birds, and beasts in vivid, lifelike colors. Some lanterns ingeniously conveyed deeper meanings through their forms.

The Lantern Festival has evolved over time, its forms unfolding through historical continuity. Peeling back the fabric of time to trace its origins, one senses its profound ritualistic essence. The Chinese people cherish shared joy, and lantern viewing stands as a vital pillar of this communal celebration.