Origins

• There are many tales describing the origin of the Lantern Festival. The Taoist narrative states that the god Tianguan's birthday is the 15th day of the first lunar month. By celebrating Tianguan, followers believe they will receive good luck. The narrative in ancient Chinese mythology says that Qinshihuang -- the first emperor to unite China -- celebrated in worship of Taiyi, the ancient god of heaven who controls human destiny. The Buddhist narrative claims that Emperor Mingdi ordered his subjects to display lanterns as a symbol of Buddha's ability to dispel darkness.
  
  

Celebrations in History

• Though the official celebration started during the Han dynasty, the Lantern Festival actually dates back further. It has always been celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, but different dynasties celebrated differently. The Tang dynasty called it the Shan-Yuan Festival and focused on Taoism. During the Ching dynasty (1644-1911), it began being called the Lantern Festival.
  
  

Fun Fact

• The largest celebration occurred in the 15th century under Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty. The festival lasted for 10 days and all of downtown Dadu -- now referred to as Beijing -- was set aside to display lanterns.