Tang Lung - Traditional Lantern in Mid Autumn Festival

I found this video featuring the making of traditional lantern for Mid Autumn Festival called "Tang Lung"

"Tang Lung" is a Cantonese translation, it means "Lantern".

This type of lantern is made up of wire and transparent coloured paper. However,  It  require skills to make the lantern into different shapes, objects or animals. 

The lantern was lit with a candle. Therefore, we need to exercise care when we hold the lantern.

I remembered when I was child, in the earlier 1980s, my mother bought for my younger brother and me such lanterns to play with during Mid Autumn Festival. 

I also recalled my primary school teacher used to teach us make such lantern too, using wires and transparent coloured paper. It was a simpler one, we would use wires to make 4 rings, held the 4 rings with sticky tapes, and coil a piece wire to make a candle holder on the lantern. After that, we would paste on it the transparent coloured paper.

I hope the art of making this Tang Lung preserved.

Giant Lantern Made of Recycled Materials

I noticed everyone who walked past Redhill Market today would stop and be impressed by this giant lantern. It's not hard to know why, because I was impressed by it too.

This giant lantern was very colourful, it was made of recycled bottles painted with beautiful pictures

I am very fortunate to meet the maker of this giant lantern, Mr Akira Takashi. He is a lantern-making enthusiast. According to Mr Takashi, he took 6 months to construct this giant lantern, including hand painted on every single recycled bottle.

This was the 26th lantern he made, and his work entered the Singapore Book of Record.

You can click on this link to read more about Mr Akira Takashi's other achievements.

Mr Akira Takashi with the giant lantern

Big Lanterns Display at Singapore River During Mid Autumn Festival

Traditionally, the lantern festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or "Yuan Xiao".
In Singapore, we celebrate the lantern festival on the Mid Autumn Festival or "中秋节Zhong Qiu Jie".
Mid Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the lunar Eighth month, which is on the 30th September this year in 2012.

Of course, there are many big lantern displays to celebrate Mid Autumn Festival.
Singapore River is one of the places that display these big lanterns.

Here are some photos to share with you, hope you enjoy viewing.

Fishes are Auspicious to the Chinese, it symbolizes Abundance.

This display illustrates "Spring Festival" i.e. Chinese New Year

This displays "Duanwu", which is the Rice Dumpling Festival and also known as Dragon Boat Festival

This illustrate "Qixi Festival", which is the Chinese Valentine's Day, with a romantic story

This is about "DongZhi" known as Winter Solstice Festival 

This display illustrates the most happening festival in Singapore, known as "Zhong Yuan 中元节" which is the Hungry Ghost Festival, when you can see people burning offerings and stage performances in the neighbourhoods called "Getai" 歌台

Chang'er, the Chinese Goddess of the Moon, an important character for Mid Autumn Festival, with a beautiful story behind