Thousands of lanterns displayed at Qinhuai lantern fair
Tens of thousands of lanterns are displayed at the Qinhuai lantern fair in Nanjing, capital of east China' s Jiangsu Province, to celebrate the lunar New Year.
SOUNDBITE(CHINESE): CAO RONGZHEN, Inheritor of Qinhuai Lanterns
"The lanterns are often associated with the New Year, or "Nian" in Chinese. What is Nian? Nian is believed to be a monster that eats people at the turn of year. Then our ancestors discovered two things to fight back the monster, one is firecrackers, and the other is lanterns."
The lantern fair on Qinhuai River, with a history of more than 2,000 years, is popular folk custom celebration.
The large-scale event is held yearly at the Confucius Temple of Nanjing around Spring Festival, China' s most important traditional holiday.
Nowadays the lanterns are seen as a symbol of brightness and love.
SOUNDBITE(CHINESE): CAO ZHENRONG, Inheritor of Qinhuai Lanterns
"The lanterns are mainly displayed to celebrate the New Year. Their designs often embody wishes for health, wealth and a brighter future. So they have a strong cultural identity."
The Qinhuai Lantern Fair was named as one of China' s Intangible Cultural Heritages in 2006.
