Zigong Lantern Festival History
According to historical records, during the Tang and Song dynasties, Zigong area had gradually formed the custom of burning lanterns in the New Year and decorating lanterns before and after the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival in Zigong area took shape in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and gradually evolved into a large folk cultural activity with relatively fixed connotations and a certain history of inheritance in a specific period. Qing Dynasty still retains the lantern convention, that is, "lion lamp field city" "lamp pole festival" and other activities, according to the "Rong County records" : "after the first month, the temple is burning trees, the door is the first red light, the sky lantern, rich people longevity Feng meaning. And imitation of the ancient ceremony of gold collar, to drive plague, called the lion light field. A city number of pavilions, pavilions of all kinds, its high number of weight, structure building carving, Linchun combination, color calligraphy and painting, embedded lights such as stars, pavilions burning four or five hundred lights, bright all have. When Westerners come to see, they are glad to see nothing in Beijing and Shanghai." Historical data prove that after the Qing Daoguang Lantern Festival has emerged, its scene has been very spectacular. According to historical records, in the Qianlong year of Qing Dynasty, the Guizhou Temple of Gong Jing held the Yu LAN Meeting.
By the beginning of the 20th century, and gradually formed the festival Lantern Festival, and lanterns, sky lanterns and dragon dance activities, gradually developed into a collection of southwest folk customs, folk customs of the Lantern Festival.
On December 12, 1963, Zigong Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to hold a light party in 1964 New Year's Day, this is the first Zigong official organization of lantern activities since the founding of the People's Republic of China (after the lantern activities will be held in 1964 Spring Festival) - "the first Spring Lantern Festival", is also the "Zigong Lantern Festival" starting point. Following the 1964 Spring Festival Lantern Fair, Zigong Municipal People's Government held the Spring Festival Lantern Fair in Zigong People's Park (later renamed Zigong Colored Lantern Park) in 1965 and 1966. Before 1987, Zigong Lantern Fair was mainly held as a cultural entertainment activity to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the masses. In 1987, Zigong began to hold the first Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Fair Economic and Trade Fair. This time, economic and trade activities were introduced into the holding mechanism of the Lantern Fair, so as to promote Zigong's foreign economic and trade exchanges.
In 2020, Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Fair will be moved from the City Lantern Park to the Eastern New Town China Lantern World.
