Also known as “Yuanxiao Festival”, “Lantern Festival”, and “Little New Year”,Shangyuan Festival is the last celebratory activity of Han people during the LunarNew Year. The festival originates from the Han Dynasty when the emperor designated January 15th as the birthday of Tian Guan, and the god of heaven was worshiped with bright lights. There was also the custom of “burning lamps as offerings to Buddha” in the imperial palace and temples on January 15th. Subsequently, the Taoist “Tianguan Great Emperor” and Buddhist “burning lamps as offering to Buddha” custom became integrated and popular among the people. Widely spread in Chinese communities, the annual festival and ritual custom have been comprehensively preserved throughout history. On the night of Shangyuan Festival, lanterns are hung by the nobility and ordinary people, as well as Taoist and Buddhist temples throughout various dynasties in history, transforming into the Lantern Festival and a celebratory ritual praying for blessings from the gods. This annual festival was introduced to Taiwan in the Qing Dynasty by immigrants.

 

Taiwan’s Shangyuan Festival conveys in-depth and wide-spread folk customs, including the following: Round rice dumplings and offerings are provided to the ancestors and the gods to pray for good fortune and fulfillment, which is also called the “spring ritual”.In Tainan, there is a tradition of “touching the spring ox” for good luck. In addition, families in the Hakka region would pray to Menshens, the guardians of entrance thresholds. In the traditional society, on the night of the Shangyuan (commonly known as Yuanxiao) Lantern Festival, women would walk under the lanterns, seeking to “crawl under the lantern to give birth to babies with testicles” because the lantern symbolizes brightness and additional male offspring. There are also lantern riddle activities, which is a special type of literary art and the riddles often have hidden meanings and witty puns. The “begging for a turtle” folk custom is a process of asking for gods’ permission using divination blocks, seeking turtles made of flour and rice, symbolizing longevity,peace in the family, wealth, and giving birth to baby boys. Those whose wish come true must double their offerings in the following year.

 

The original spirit of praying for the gods’ blessings for the coming year has evolved into diverse customs full of vitality embedded with strong local characteristics, many of which have been registered as folk cultural assets. For example: The Matsu Islands Bei-Man custom of making offerings at night is regarded as an important New Year activity by the locals. The popular Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival and Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival attract many participants from all over the world every year. In addition, there are the spectacular Bombing Lord Handan activities, the Maming Mountain quinquennial Wang-ye Feast and peaceful parade activities, Haifeng Three Mountains King Temple Baby Boy Welcoming Ceremony, and many more.

 

The Shangyuan Festival customs serve various purposes including praying to the deities for blessings, and giving thanks to the deities. In contemporary society, in additionto heritage continuance, the festival also serves to pass on cultural traditions in food,folk art, as well as local identity. Examples include visiting lantern displays, enjoyment of steamed glutinous rice, as well as appreciation of various offerings, cuisines, and decorations with local characteristics. In response to the current requirements of the faithful, the festival also features the creation and aesthetics of divine turtle shapes, made by stacking together noodles, sachima dessert, or gold coins together, and the making and craftsmanship of lanterns for the Lantern Festival, preserving the tradition with endless creativity.

 

Furthermore, there is the iterative cycle of begging and returning of turtle-shaped pastries or bread, and the whole family entertainment of visiting the Lantern Festival. Communities may also integrate temple fair rituals, street parades with participants carrying lanterns, and lantern riddle activities. There are local temples that take turns organizing cultural festivals, which integrate the elements of folk customs such as pilgrimage, fortune modification, sending joy, and eating blessings. The Taiwan Lantern Festival, which is hosted in turn by counties and cities, and the Shangyuan folk local customs of each region, are protected under the cultural asset preservation system and maintained through the consensus of community residents, evolving with the times to become a force unifying local identity. These cultural traditions are educational,linking people’s relationships and calling on wandering natives to return to their hometown. Year after year, such unique Shangyuan Festival folk cultural heritage is practiced and passed on to the descendants.