The lantern procession at the Ba Ba Deng Lantern Show in Yingdu, Nan'an. [Photo/fujian-szwhg.chaoxing.com]

The Ba Ba Deng Lantern Show, held at Zhaohui Temple in Yingdu town, Nan'an city, Fujian province, traces its origins from the laborious work of boatmen during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Over time, this practice evolved into a folk tradition symbolizing prayers for safe river transportation and abundant harvests. Enduring for centuries as a form of festive entertainment, the tradition now boasts a history of over 500 years. It has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage item under the category of folk customs.

The Ba Ba Deng Lantern Show is held on the ninth day of the first lunar month in the natural villages along the Yingxi River. The event centers around lantern parades intertwined with rituals to welcome deities, featuring drum performances, lion dances, and various entertainment activities.

The event includes rituals such as consecration, lantern binding, processions, and more. Participants carry dozens to hundreds of red lanterns suspended along nearly a hundred meters of ropes, forming 28 groups. Led by sturdy men pulling the ropes like boatmen, the lantern procession, resembling a winding fire dragon under the night sky, vividly recalls the arduous struggles of boatmen in the past. As the lantern procession makes its way through villages, households set off fireworks at their doorsteps.

The Ba Ba Deng Lantern Show vividly portrays the cultural longing of farmers for prosperity and thriving populations, reflecting their spiritual beliefs and aspirations for harmony between humans and nature. It showcases the prosperity of Quanzhou's river transportation in ancient times, confirming its status as the cradle of the Maritime Silk Road, carrying profound historical and cultural significance.