Lanterns are an important part of traditional Chinese culture, serving not only as practical lighting tools but also as key elements in festivals, architectural decorations, and religious ceremonies. After thousands of years of development, lanterns have evolved into a rich variety of types, differing in materials, shapes, purposes, and regional characteristics. Below, I will provide a detailed introduction to the main categories of lanterns and their cultural significance
一、Classify by material
1.Paper Lanterns
Paper lanterns are the most traditional and common type, typically featuring a frame made of bamboo strips or wire, covered with xuan paper, or cotton paper, and draw patterns or write words on the paper.
Features: Lightweight with excellent light diffusion, ideal for festive displays.
Examples: Lantern Festival lanterns, revolving horse lanterns, and kongming lanterns.
2.Silk Lanterns
Silk lanterns use lightweight gauze or silk as lampshades, emitting a soft and diffused glow. They were commonly used in imperial palaces, classical gardens, and affluent households.
Features: Exquisitely elegant, often painted with floral, avian, or landscape motifs.
Examples: Suzhou silk lanterns and wedding celebration lanterns.
3.Brocade Lanterns
Brocade lanterns feature satin covers adorned with embroidery and gold/silver thread work, exuding opulence and nobility.
Features: Highly durable, primarily used for grand ceremonies.
Examples: Fujian embroidered lanterns, imperial celebration lanterns.
4.Glass Lanterns
Glass lanterns are a modern innovation, featuring glass shades and metal frames designed for weather resistance, making them ideal for outdoor use.
Features: Excellent light transmission with superior durability.
Examples: Street lamps from the Republican era, Western-style lanterns.
5.Plastic Lanterns
Modern crafted lanterns made from plastic or acrylic materials, offering lightweight and waterproof properties, ideal for commercial decor and festive installations.
Features: Vibrant colors and high malleability, commonly used in malls and scenic spots.
二、Classify by purpose
1. Festival Lanterns
Essential decorations for celebrations, with styles varying by occasion.
Lantern Festival: Diverse designs like Fuzhou’s tangerine lanterns, Guangdong’s fish lanterns, and zodiac animal lanterns.
Mid-Autumn Festival: Rabbit, starfruit, and moon-shaped lanterns, symbolizing family reunion.
Chinese New Year: Red lanterns hung high for prosperity and joy.
2. Decorative Lanterns
Enhance spaces in gardens, palaces, and courtyards:
Palace Lanterns: Imperial-era hexagonal/octagonal designs with intricate carvings and tassels.
Red Lanterns: Auspicious emblems adorning traditional architecture.
3. Functional Lighting Lanterns
Historical illumination tools:
Handheld Lanterns: Portable “windproof lanterns”for night walk.
Street Lamps: Depicted in Along the River During the Qingming Festival painting.
4. Religious Lanterns
Used in temples with spiritual symbolism:
Buddhist: Lotus lanterns (symbol of wisdom) and eternal flames (symbol of enlightenment).
Taoist: Lanterns painted with Bagua, Taiji, or deity motifs.
三、Classify according to geographical characteristics
1.Beijing Palace Lanterns
Beijing palace lanterns are framed with rosewood and redwood, the lantern surface is painted with traditional landscape and flower-and-bird paintings and was once a tribute to the royal family.
Features: Exquisite and complex craft.
2.Fuzhou Lanterns
Fuzhou Lanterns renowned for their glass-filament weaving technique, these lanterns emit a crystal-like radiance, representing the pinnacle of Chinese decorative lighting art.
Features: Exquisite and complex craftsmanship.
3.Chaozhou Lanterns
Chaozhou Lanterns renowned for their gold or silver foil embellishments and vibrant hues, these lanterns are centerpieces of Chaozhou’s folk rituals like deity processions and temple fairs.
Features: It is magnificent and has strong local characteristics.
4.Zigong Lantern Festival
Zigong Lantern Festival is one of the most famous Lantern Festival, known as the first lantern in the world. Use modern lighting technology to make giant lantern groups, such as Dragon Lanterns, Dinosaur Lanterns.
Features: Large scale, strong sense of science and technology.
FOREST PAINTING LANTERN factory as a Lantern-making company which located in Zigong, focus on grand lantern festival displays and craftsmanship, if you have any question about Chinese Lantern, please connect me anytime.
四、Special craft Lanterns
1.Zoetrope Lanterns
The Zoetrope Lantern, an ancient Chinese “animated lantern,” utilizes the thermal airflow from candles to rotate an internal shaft, creating moving shadow projections and dynamic visuals.
Features: A fusion of technology and art, regarded as the ancient “earliest projection lantern.”
2.Ice Lanterns
Popular in northern China, especially during the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, these lanterns are carved from ice blocks with internal lighting, creating a crystalline glow.
Features: Ephemeral beauty, winter-specific artistry.
Examples: Ice pagodas, animal sculptures, and illuminated ice palaces.
3.Boneless Lanterns
Zhejiang Xianju Boneless lanterns not use the bamboo strips frame,but rather, patterns are created on the paper through a needle-pricking technique, which reveals intricate designs when illuminated from within.
Features: Unique craftsmanship, light and elegant.
4.Modern LED Lanterns
The combination of modern science and technology and traditional culture, LED lanterns programmable effects and energy-efficient, eco-friendly designs, widely used in urban beautification projects.
Features: Dynamic color variations, ideal for large-scale light shows.
五、The cultural symbol of Lanterns
Red Chinese Lanterns: Symbolize joy and auspiciousness, ubiquitous during Spring Festival and weddings.
White Chinese Lanterns: It is often used in East Asian culture for funerals and represents mourning.
Yellow Chinese Lanterns: Historically linked to imperial authority, in Buddhism, they represent wisdom.
Lanterns transcend mere illumination—they are vessels of Chinese cultural heritage. From paper lanterns to modern LED variants, palace lanterns to folk festival designs, each type carries historical and artistic significance. Today, they remain vital in celebrations, architectural aesthetics, and cross-cultural exchange, bridging the past and present as timeless symbols of beauty and continuity.
