A dragon lantern is carried during the Gulin paper lantern parade. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Gulin town in Haishu district celebrated its annual Lantern Festival parade on the evening of Feb 12. This year's event featured 210 villagers in festive attire, each carrying beautifully crafted paper lanterns and parading through the main streets to create a stunning visual spectacle.

The tradition, known as the "Yuanxiao Paper Lantern Parade", dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) and reached its peak in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). A local saying, "Every family puts up colorful paper, every household makes paper lanterns, everyone joins the lantern parade," captures the spirit of this intangible cultural heritage item of Haishu district.

Although historically the parade lasted several days, it is now held only on Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first lunar month. As night fell, various lantern formations dazzled the crowd. Highlights included an 80-meter-long dragon lantern symbolizing power and lifelike carp lanterns representing abundance.

"Since 2018, we've hosted this parade every Lantern Festival. Villagers' enthusiasm is immense. It's a chance for everyone to relive the lively New Year atmosphere of their childhood," said Tong Lei, Party secretary of Gulin village.