Dongguan Thousand-Angle Lantern

Dongguan Thousand-Angle Lantern

The Thousand-Angle Lantern is a national intangible cultural heritage.

　　The Thousand-Angle Lantern is a treasure of folk art in Dongguan, Guangdong, originally exclusive to the Zhao family of Dongguan. The Dongguan Zhao family are descendants of the Song imperial clan. Legend has it that the Zhao family began making the Thousand-Angle Lantern in the early Yuan Dynasty, adorning it with 24 decorative lamp strips. The lantern was made once every ten years and was displayed before the founding of the People’s Republic of China at the Pufanzong (the Zhao family ancestral hall located at Jieyuanfang). Although the lantern has been remade over time, the original lamp strips from the Song Dynasty were always kept and treasured by the Zhao family until they were destroyed in the 1960s.

　　The craft of making the Thousand-Angle Lantern was dormant for 40 years before being revived. Now, under the support of the Guancheng District government, the main inheritor spent eight months creating a new Thousand-Angle Lantern. However, as he is now in his twilight years and there is a lack of successors, it is urgent to pass on the craftsmanship of making the Thousand-Angle Lantern.