Apart from the Spring Festival, there were loads of folk events held to celebrate the Lantern Festival. The one worth stressing is the lantern feast in Ronggui Village, Shunde District.

According to the historical records, lantern feast has been prevailing since the early Qing Dynasty, which has lasted for over 200 years.

Historically, lantern feast is held to pray for harvest and celebrate newborn. When a family has a newborn, they will hang up lantern at home and ancestral temple to symbolise the arrival of new family members. When the Lantern Festival comes, the family will give pig knuckles with ginger soup, red eggs to the oldest village representative. In return, the oldest village representative will hold a feast for villagers and give pocket money to the newborn.

The original lantern feast includes lighting ceremony and the feast. In the 1990s, one new element “lantern auction” was introduced and has gradually become the most important part of the event. There would be 6 to 12 delicate lanterns with good blessings and wishes shown for auction.

It is said that the tradition "lantern feast" includes several activities, including the opening ceremony at the morning, lion dance at different height, firecracker shows, lantern auction and feast at the nighttime.

In 2022, Ronggui Lantern Feast has been recognized as one of the 9th batch of ICH in Shunde District. Throughout the history, Lantern Feast has undergone a huge transition, either from an event to celebrate newborn to an activity to repay the village, from an event among villages to an event for a whole district. Eventually, this tradition has been passed down through generations and further developed into an event with philanthropy.

Author | Eddie

Revisor | Jersey, Linn

Photo丨Ronggui Release