Legacy Trails: Illuminating Spring Festival with fish lanterns

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As the Spring Festival approaches, craftsmen are busy preparing fish lanterns, symbols of abundance, prosperity and renewal. Rooted in the ancient Chinese saying "年年有余" (nián nián yǒu yú), meaning "May you have surplus year after year," fish lanterns embody fishermen's hopes for a bountiful, joyous new year.

In the coastal county of Xiangshan of Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang Province, the art of making fish lanterns has been passed down for generations. For the residents, fish lanterns are not only decorative but also a tribute to their seafaring heritage and a reflection of their wishes for prosperity.

Bao Jiqin, now in his 80s, has dedicated decades to perfecting this craftsmanship. Born in Shipu, a town in Xiangshan, Bao has enjoyed drawing since childhood and began making carp lanterns at a young age. After the late 1990s, when Xiangshan held its first Fishing Season Festival—a celebration marking the start of a new fishing season following the fishing moratorium—Bao expanded his lantern designs to include a variety of marine life, such as yellow croakers, cuttlefish, and more. To ensure his lanterns accurately capture the appearance of real fish, Bao has collected numerous books and materials on marine life, focusing on fish shapes and behaviors.

Every year, on the 14th day of the first lunar month, Xiangshan County hosts a parade where locals hold fish lanterns high as they walk through the streets, celebrating the start of the new year.

(All photos by CGTN's Chen Hongyu)