Chinese Lanterns have been around literally for thousands of years. Their use dates back as three hundred years BC, with the invention first being recorded as being used as well as other related experiments being documented around the same time. The invention is attributed to Kongming, who was a well known third century military advisor and strategist but it is likely someone else invented the Chinese lantern and it was later attributed to this popular figure rather than the actual inventor. Either way, these floating paper lanterns have many more uses today than they did when they were originally invented.
First Use of Chinese Lanterns: Military Use
As with many inventions that we see today, the first Chinese Lantern application was a military one. With the invention of the lantern, came an excellent way to signal troop formations during military manoeuvres. Whether doing so as a drill or in the middle of combat, floating lanterns were used to tell the troops what they needed to do. Combining the colour of the lantern with a boldly painted on symbol, each division would know what colour they were to look for and the symbol could indicate anything from attack to retreat to more complex commands such as moving to flank an opposing force. With the help of Chinese Lanterns, the Chinese armies of the day were well respected fighting forces that could easily take on any opposing army.
Civilian Uses
Once these lanterns became more popular, their use in mainstream Chinese culture became more and more common. Soon after they helped the military become successful on the battlefield, they began being used by the common person in a serene and peaceful way. The original way this began was with festivals. These were held both as scheduled events as well as celebrations of victory by the armies. The mass launch of Chinese lanterns during festivals was done frequently but the most common were New Years festivals. During these festivals, messages asking for a good year were written on the lantern as well as hopes, dreams and prayers for the future. In Thailand, these festivals and the Chinese lanterns took on a big part of the festival with incredibly large launches during festivals as well as launches frequently throughout the year on an individual level. They believed the floating lanterns were a direct conduit to the heavens as well as being a symbol of worries, problems and stress floating away.
Uses Today
Today, people around the globe use Chinese Lanterns in the traditional manner but also go far astray from their original uses. Traditional calendar events still get the same attention, especially in countries with large populations from Thailand or China but they are also a common site at other times and without the traditional reason for launch. For example, they have become incredibly popular at festivals around England, to the point where unfortunately they have been on the excluded items list. Chinese lanterns are also a common site on any given night in regions that cater to holiday crowds.
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