Fancy lanterns , also called Colored Lamps , are special handicraft product of Chinese tradition which are widely used for decorations on festivals and holidays, weddings and other personal celebrations in China. According to statistics, fancy lantern was originated from the Western Han Dynasty over 1800 years ago. When Lantern Festival comes, people will hang red lanterns so as to create a cheerful atmosphere. Afterward lantern became the symbol of joy in China. With its development, the lantern has formed abundant varieties and super craft-work level.

Chinese lantern always consist of a frame made of metal wire or bamboo strips covered with paper or thin gauze and then painted over to be attractive. There are many types of fancy Lanterns, for example, palace lanterns , gauze lanterns, swag lanterns etc.. As far as the modelings were concerned, they consist of character, landscape, flowers, birds, dragon, phoenix, fish and worms and so on. Apart from these, it has the lanterns with revolving figures. Chinese fancy lantern is a composition of painting, paper-cut, Zhi Zha, Ci Feng etc..
 

The local fancy lanterns have their own characters. The Dragon lantern (lóng dēng 龙灯) in Shanghai is made in cloth, the Zou Ma Deng (zóu mǎ dēng 走马灯) in Guangdong is very exquisite, the Palace lanterns in Beijing is very elegant and fine, and the Harbin Ice-lamp (bīng dēng 冰灯) is Clean and clear, the mouth climbing grape lamp (láo shǔ pān pú táo dēng 老鼠攀葡萄灯), kylin lantern (qí líng dēng 麒麟灯), pigsy lantern (zhū bā jiè dēng 猪八戒灯), duck lantern (yā zī dēng 鸭子灯), goldfish lantern (jīn yú dēng 金鱼灯) and mandarin duck lantern (yuān yāng dēng 鸳鸯灯) are with great humor and profound morals.

The fancy lantern is an art which represents the ingenuity of Chinese people. It combines the abstract formation, imitative sculpture, plane painting and calligraphy, complex decoration and light mechanism. It is an art with Chinese characteristics. Fancy lanterns are not only decoration of festival, but also a kind of care in people's life.

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