Otherwise known as "Jinling lantern fair", Qinhuai lantern fair is a folk cultural activity with a distinctive flavor and popular in Nanjing area. It is usually held between the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival every year.
The origin of Qinhuai lantern fair can be traced to the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties. It enjoyed burgeoning development in the Tang Dynasty and reached its heyday in the Ming Dynasty. According to historical documents, way back in the early days of the Southern Dynasties, lantern fairs were held in the city of Nanjing during the Lantern Festival to pray for good weather for the crops, happy families and a peaceful world. The spectacles of lanterns could be found everywhere, including the imperial court, religious venues and ordinary streets. Since then, the banks of the Qinhuai River have been decorated with lanterns and festoons during the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival every year. Celebrations like singing and dancing also added to the fun, creating festive scenes full of happiness, harmony, and prosperity. Qinhuai lantern fair was therefore honored as "the No. 1 lantern fair on the planet".
In ancient times, Qinhuai lantern fair was mainly held along the Qinhuai River banks in Nanjing. In the 20th century, however, the fair is basically centered around the Confucius Temple area. Currently, it has been expanded to the five-mile scenic belt in the east of "the ten-mile Qinhuai River". The core areas include Confucius Temple, Zhanyuan Garden, Bailuzhou Park, the Memorial Hall in Honor of Wang Dao and Xie An, the Former Residence of Wu Jingzi, the Museum of Jiangnan Ancient Imperial Exam Venues, the Exhibition Hall of the Barbican Entrance at the Gate of China, as well as places like Zhonghua Road, Pingjiangfu Road, Zhanyuan Road, and Pipa Road.
People in Nanjing never stopped creating beautiful scenes at Qinhuai lantern fair to pray for favorable climatic weathers, happy families and world peace through various activities like making and hanging up lanterns as well as enjoying the fantastic spectacles. The lantern fair is an embodiment of their good wishes for a better future.
As a key component of folk culture in Nanjing, Qinhuai lantern fair is also a folk entertaining show. A lot of Nanjing folk arts are also showcased at the fair, including paper cutting, diabolo playing, rope knotting, carving, and shadow puppet plays etc. Meanwhile, singing, dancing, quyi performances (Chinese folk art forms; including ballad singing, story telling, comic dialogues, clapper talks, cross talks, etc) and acrobatic shows can also be found at the fair. Along with the boom of the lantern fair, these folk art forms are also enjoying thriving development.
