Chinese Lantern / 燈籠 / 鼓仔燈 / 花燈

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Chinese Lanterns, also known as Drum Lamp or Flower Lamp, are ancient lighting devices that date back to the times of ancient Egypt. In Eastern Asia, they are considered a traditional folk art product. The Chinese sometimes captured fireflies in transparent or semi-transparent containers and used them as temporary lanterns. The film "Raise the Red Lantern" prominently features lanterns as a motif. Lanterns play a significant role in many Asian festivals. During the Ghost Festival, lotus-shaped lanterns are set adrift in rivers and seas to guide the lost souls of forgotten ancestors to the afterlife. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, the display of numerous lanterns remains a common sight throughout China during the Lantern Festival. In other Chinese festivities, kongming lanterns can be seen soaring high into the sky.