Since the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (156–87 BCE), the Lantern Festival has been a significant celebration in China. According to folk tradition, on the tenth day of the first lunar month—a night when the full moon hangs high—people light thousands of colorful lanterns to express their joy. People go out to admire the moon, light lanterns and fireworks, enjoy guessing lantern riddles, and share glutinous rice balls together. Families reunite and celebrate the festival in harmony and joy. The custom of the fifteenth-day lantern festival persists to this day, but how did it originate? How have its content and form evolved over time?

The origins of the lantern festival are shrouded in numerous ancient legends. They can be broadly summarized as follows:　

1. Legend has it that the festival originated from the people''''s efforts to drive away pests, tracing back to the “Torch Festival.”

During the Han Dynasty, villagers carried torches through the fields to scare away insects and animals, hoping for a bountiful harvest. This practice reached its peak during the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties. Even today, in some regions of southwest China, people still make torches from reeds or branches on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. They gather in groups, holding aloft their torches, and dance in fields or on threshing floors. Tens of thousands participate in the singing and dancing, continuing from dusk until dawn, ceasing only at daybreak. In Han Chinese areas, this custom is more commonly preserved in the form of the Lantern Festival.

This legend plainly reveals the relationship between lamps and fire: the lamp as an illuminating tool originated from the utilization of firelight. Fire''''s primary function was to satisfy human survival and physiological needs, enhancing our ability to endure the natural environment. The mastery of fire marked humanity''''s separation from animals. When firelight was harnessed for illumination, becoming lamplight, its fundamental purpose became lighting. However, in practical application, lamps and lamplight often acquired richer cultural connotations and additional functions. Among these, the most significant was the use of light to express human emotions. The following legend about the origin of lantern festivals further illustrates this point.　

II. Originating from Mythology and Specific Historical Events

Legend has it that long ago, fierce beasts and predatory birds roamed freely, preying on both people and livestock. Humans organized themselves to hunt these creatures. One day, a divine bird, lost and disoriented, descended to earth only to be shot down by an unwitting hunter. Upon learning this, the Heavenly Emperor flew into a rage. He immediately issued an edict, commanding his celestial soldiers to descend to earth on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and set it ablaze, consuming all human life, livestock, and property. The Heavenly Emperor''''s daughter, kind-hearted and unwilling to see innocent people suffer, risked her life. She secretly descended on a cloud to inform the people of this impending disaster. Hearing this, the people were terrified and at a loss. After a long while, an old man proposed a plan: “On the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth days of the first lunar month, every household should decorate their homes with lanterns and ornaments, set off firecrackers, and light fireworks. This way, the Heavenly Emperor will believe everyone has been burned to death.” Everyone agreed and set about preparing. On the night of the fifteenth, the Heavenly Emperor looked down and saw the mortal world ablaze with red light and deafening noise. This continued for three nights in a row. Believing it to be the flames of a great conflagration, he was greatly pleased. Thus, the people preserved their lives and possessions. To commemorate this success, from that day forward, every household hung lanterns and set off fireworks on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to celebrate the occasion.

III. Origins in Religious Activities

From the Eastern Han Dynasty onward, the Lantern Festival began to take on religious significance.

During Emperor Ming of Han''''s Yongping era (58–175 AD), as the emperor promoted Buddhism, Cai Yin returned from India bearing Buddhist teachings. He reported that in India''''s Magadha Kingdom, monks gathered on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to venerate the Buddha''''s relics, deeming it an auspicious time for Buddhist observance. To promote Buddhism, Emperor Ming ordered the lighting of lamps in the palace and temples on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month to honor the Buddha.　

Another theory traces the Lantern Festival''''s origins to Taoist “Three Yuan” beliefs. “Three Yuan” collectively refers to the Upper, Middle, and Lower Yuan, encompassing the Upper Yuan Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Middle Yuan Festival on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and the Lower Yuan Festival on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month. These correspond to the birthdays of the Three Officials in Taoism: the Heavenly Official, the Earthly Official, and the Human Official. According to Taoist doctrine, the Heavenly Official bestows blessings, hence he is also known as the Blessing Official or the Star of Blessings (one of the Stars of Blessing, Prosperity, and Longevity). Because the Heavenly Official favors lively celebrations, the Upper Yuan Festival involves lighting lamps in celebration. Thus, the custom of lighting lamps on the fifteenth night of the first lunar month gradually spread throughout China as the influence of Buddhist and Taoist cultures expanded.

While numerous legends exist about the origins of the Lantern Festival, from an illumination perspective, all narratives reflect these core elements:

First, lamps and lanterns had evolved beyond mere fire and light into dedicated tools for illumination;

Second, early legends were simpler and more straightforward, while later tales grew increasingly mystical, religious, and story-driven;　　

Third, people began using lamps and lighting not merely for illumination but as a form of language—employing lamps and light itself to express emotions, endowing them with deeper cultural connotations.

Fourth, from the Han Dynasty to the present, lamps and light in Chinese culture have increasingly become objects of appreciation and aesthetic enjoyment rather than mere tools. This shift is strikingly evident in the content of lantern festivals after the Tang Dynasty. In contrast, Western cultures, exemplified by Greece and Rome, predominantly viewed lamps and light as tools for illumination. Their fundamental and primary function was to illuminate objects rather than express themselves—embodying the principle of “light seen, lamp unseen.” I believe this cultural divergence between East and West warrants significant attention from lighting investors, managers, and designers.