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event of the
festival. Lantern was called gutzedeng because lanterns
in the past were in the shape of drums and cymbals. In
fact, there were many kinds of lanterns, such as the
ribbon lantern seen in temples, the trotting horse
lantern found in shops, and the drum-like lantern
carried by children. Today, most lanterns are
electrically controlled and made according to folk
tales, such as the parade of the champion in the
imperial examination, the birthday celebration of the
Eight Immortals, the sworn brotherhood in Taoyuan,
expressing the context of loyalty, filial piety and
other virtues.
Moreover, the firework show in
Yensui (鹽水)
of Tainan, the International Firework Festival held by
the Shengmu Temple (聖母廟)
in Luerhmen (鹿耳門),
the tiendeng event in Pingsi (平溪)
Taipei are special events to celebrate the hilarious
Lantern Festival.
(4) Guessing
lantern riddles
People used to guess lantern
riddles at temples in the past because temples were
places for recreation. As lantern contests and
demonstrations were also held there, people would
prepare riddles on lanterns as a kind of entertainment.
Winners could win a prize, symbolizing the good luck of
the new year. Today, riddles are put in newspapers or
magazines, some TV channels will televise the event held
at a certain temple, or some hosts will add riddles in
their programs, in order to fulfill the demands of
different audiences. These have revealed the multitude
of how modern people celebrate a traditional festival.
(5) Dragon and
lion dances
The dragon lantern is a common
feature of Chinese people celebrating the festival in
different parts of the world because the dragon is a
mascot in Chinese legends and the token of the Chinese
nation. In olden days, people in Taiwan stuck gauze on
the bamboo drum in the shape of a dragon to make the
dragon lantern about 70-80 feet long. After putting
candles inside the dragon head and body, people carried
the lantern and chased after the dragon pearl, as if in
a kind of dance. This event was known as the dragon
dance. On the evening of January 15th, lion parades in
different places would join the event known as the lion
dance. All these were done for dispelling the evil and
praying for good luck. They were also a kind of
celebration of the Chinese New Year.
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