[Explanation] Accompanied by the sound of gongs, drums, and clang resounding across the mountains, fish lanterns painted with colorful patterns cruise to all corners of the village.
At this time, Wangmantian Village in She County, Anhui Province was wiped out by the dark night, and the earth was like a huge black cloth, setting off the fish lanterns particularly beautiful.
On the evening of February 26, a lively "Fish Lantern Festival" was staged in Wangmantian Village, Xitou Town, She County, Anhui Province, and the villagers happily celebrated the Lantern Festival.
[Concurrent] Wang Zailang, the representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage project Wangmantian fish lantern
We have formed this village for more than 800 years. At that time, more than 800 years (before), the houses were all thatched houses, slab houses, and bamboo woven houses. They were easy to catch fire and could easily cause fires. So at that time in our village, the village There are not many villains. Playing with fish lanterns makes Lantern Festival every year, and playing with fish lanterns overcomes the fire (disaster), which means (pray for good luck) every year to protect the weather, the harvest, and the safety of the four seasons.
[Explanation] The "Fish Lantern Festival" in Wangmantian Village’s Lantern Festival is the most lively time of the year in the village. Generally, from the 13th to the 16th of the first lunar month, the "fish" lanterns frolic for four days before and after the lanterns. Go back home and participate in this "event."
Fish bones made of bamboo sticks, glued on tissue paper, painted with red, yellow and blue scales, and written in the center of the fish head with a large "king", and candles are lit inside the fish body, which is carried by five or six villagers. With hands, walk between the villages to pray for the people of the village.
[Concurrent] Wang Zailang, the representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage project Wangmantian fish lantern
The oldest of us, sometimes in his 60s or 70s, he has to poke fish. This is where we are used to. The youngest child, for example, when he was two years old, he took a small fish lantern and played with it. He started to like playing fish lanterns, so fish lanterns have been passed down from generation to generation. We basically play fish lanterns every year.
[Explanation] According to Wang Zailang, the largest fish lantern can be more than ten meters long and four to five meters high. In order to cultivate the next generation of cohesive clan kinship, the ancestors of the Wang family have set a special rule. A series of processes such as purchasing and lighting up the lights are all in charge of the younger generation, and the elders are not allowed to intervene. This is also set up by the ancestors in order to guide the children and grandchildren to understand the real "li".
And every time after the end of the fish lantern festival, the fish lantern will be sent to the nearby martyrs cemetery to pay tribute to the heroes.
[Concurrent] Qu Hongchuan, a tourist from Jiangsu
Wangmantian fish lanterns evolved from the people of Wangmantian after hundreds of years of life, production and labor. I feel very spectacular and very beautiful.
[Explanation] Zhao Yihua from Hefei has always liked Huizhou culture very much. After seeing the report of Wangmantian fish lantern making Lantern Festival on the Internet, he rushed from Hefei to Wangmantian Village, Shexian County to celebrate a different Lantern Festival.
[Concurrent] Zhao Yihua, a citizen of Hefei
Because we found that the villagers are very enthusiastic, and every household is very enthusiastic about this traditional festival. They all have the idea of worshiping ancestors and passing on this traditional culture. So from the bottom of our hearts, one is that we feel that these villagers Very nice, welcoming and lovely.
And their determination and spirit to inherit traditional culture, I think they are all worth learning.
Liu Honghe and Chu Weiwei report from Huangshan, Anhui
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】