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Chinese Lanterns
An outstanding example is a lantern with revolving figures known as zou ma,
which looks like a pretty paper pavilion with upturned eaves and corners. It is ringed with a
number of colored figures of men and animals, or a panoramic landscape of
mountains, rivers and flowers -- either painted or cut out of paper, which
revolves like a merry-go-round.
This kind of "roundabout" lantern may be traced back to the Tang and Song
dynasties about 1,000 years ago. The figures or pictures are erected along the
circumference of a wire frame fastened to the center of a vertical shaft pasted
with paper vanes. Propelled by hot air from a lit candle, the vanes turn the
shaft, which turn the frame with the figures. Today, this kind of lantern has
become more elaborate and beautiful, although the basic structure remains the
same. It shows that the Chinese had already grasped the principle of
transforming hot air currents into mechanical energy in ancient times.
The Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, usually
in February or March according to the Gregorian calendar. It marks the end of
the Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year). As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), it had become a festival
with great significance. On that day, lanterns of various shapes and sizes are
hung in the streets, attracting countless visitors. Excited children carry
bought or handmade lanterns as they stroll down the streets.
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