(Chinese New Year at the Grassroots Level) Zhejiang Haining Kip Stone Lantern Festival Appears in Nantou Lantern Festival, Taiwan: Keep Tradition and Bring forth the New

　　Chinanews.com, Jiaxing, February 5th (Zhang Yudi) On February 5th, the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival, at the Lantern Festival in Nantou, Taiwan, a national non-governmental organization of lanterns from Xiashi, Haining City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province The lamp group of Hu Jinlong, the inheritor of the inheritance, attracts tourists to visit.

　　At this year's Lantern Festival in Nantou, Taiwan, the Xiashi lantern made by Hu Jinlong was themed "Poetry and Haining", focusing on depicting the short but glorious life of Xu Zhimo, a representative of the famous Crescent School and a poet from Haining.

　　It is understood that the lantern group is connected with Haining's iconic scenic spots such as Xu Zhimo's former residence, Ziwei Bridge, Xishan and Qianjiang Chao. The poem "Farewell to Cambridge" is written on the lanterns, showing the unique attributes of Haining's cultural city.

　　"The key to making Xu Zhimo's themed light set is the design process. I also studied Xu Zhimo's former residence and the landscape of Kangqiao in the early stage, and integrated relevant elements into the work. It took more than a month to complete the entire light set time." Hu Jinlong said.

　　Hu Jinlong introduced that the production of Xiashi lanterns is mainly based on the "eight techniques" of bending, tying, knotting, engraving, painting, needlework, pasting, and mounting, and each step plays a vital role in the final product.

　　"The acupuncture technique in Xiashi Lanterns can be called 'a must in the south of the Yangtze River'. It is the most distinctive technique of Xiashi Lanterns. The acupuncture density reaches an average of 18 to 32 holes per square centimeter. A good lantern works need needles. There are millions of thorns," Hu Jinlong said.

Hu Jinlong making the Kip Stone Lantern Photo by Hu Jinlong

　　The ancient Xiashi lanterns create a happy, peaceful, festive, and safe atmosphere during the Spring Festival, and also light up the cultural friendship between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Under the night sky, the lights in the park in Nantou, Taiwan are shining brightly, and the ancient town of Chang'an in Haining, Zhejiang is full of lights.

　　On the one hand, the Xiashi lanterns in Haining were well-known in the south of the Yangtze River as early as the Qianfu reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty (874-879). In the Southern Song Dynasty, they were listed as court tributes. It is known as "the first light city in the south of the Yangtze River".

　　On the other hand, the Nantou Lantern Festival in Taiwan is a traditional folk cultural event in Nantou County. It was started in 2016 and is held every year from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival.

Hu Jinlong's Kip Shek Lantern Group has appeared in the Nantou Lantern Festival for 7 consecutive years.

　　Hu Jinlong said frankly that Taiwanese culture and mainland culture have the same roots, so in terms of folk customs, such as the holding of lantern festivals, there is not much difference between the two, but there are slight differences in form and scale.

　　Talking about how to form a bond with Taiwan, Hu Jinlong recalled what he heard and felt when he first went to Taiwan.

"In 2004, I traveled to Taiwan and saw the picturesque Alishan and the poetic Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County. Since then, I have to go here every time I go to Taiwan to feel the local scenery and culture."

　　In 2017, Hu Jinlong participated in the Nantou Lantern Festival in Taiwan for the first time with the best of his Xiashi lanterns.

At that time, the Nantou Lantern Festival not only exhibited some Xiashi lanterns outside, but also set up an indoor exhibition hall dedicated to Xiashi lanterns. The traditional acupuncture lanterns were well received by Taiwan compatriots.

　　"When some Taiwanese friends go to the exhibition, they will also buy some small Kip Stone lanterns and take them home to use." Hu Jinlong said, hoping that the Kip Stone lanterns can enter thousands of households, and everyone can use this lamp in their homes, so that First, the development prospects of this intangible cultural heritage will be even greater.

　　In Hu Jinlong's view, if we want the national intangible cultural heritage of Xiashi Lanterns to go further, we must not rest on our laurels. We must continue to recreate and reinnovate on the basis of maintaining tradition, and pass through materials and styles. Adapt to the needs of modern people to make changes.

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