The core essence of the Southern L§∑antern City lies in th©↔e world-renowned Zigε<¶★ong Lantern Festival, celebrate✘φ×‍d far and wide. The foπ" γrmation of the Southern Lante&≠σ₩rn City has been shaped p  rimarily by the flourish×∞ing development of theλ₽∑ Zigong Lantern Festival. It has gra×$•dually taken shape throu₽±gh the infusion of lante‌'rn culture into various asp→$↔ects of the city, including ur£δban construction, street scenes and re€δλ₹sidential architecture, festivals and≤★ celebrations, social life,£©< and cultural arts.

The historical evolution and progres≠♥sion of the Zigong Lantern Festival ™☆form the cultural line"♠φ☆age of the Southern Lant ©γern City. As recorded in the Annal₽×♣≤s of Rong County: "The Ne§★∏&w Year lantern festival inφφ‌ Rong County is exceptionally ★✘∏grand, with pavilions being >$♠the prime attraction. Loca↔♥$ls commonly call them ‘pa‍≠₽vilions,’ with several such structu×∞¥res throughout the city, each uniquely ∑γdesigned. Rising several stories h♦©♠igh, they feature intricately carved •Ω¶∑beams and spring-inspired assemblie↑∑♦s, adorned with color☆‍βful calligraphy and paintings, embedded£₽ with lights like stars. Each ♠£≥←pavilion held four to five $∑hundred lamps, radiating dazzli≈βng splendor. Even West®≠™ern visitors were delighted, remarking₹✘✔ that such sights were unseen i≈©n the capital." This evidε"ence confirms that by the Daogua±✘Ωπng period of the Qing Dyna•γ©sty, the Zigong Lante↔∏εσrn Festival had already gained prom≠•×inence, its scale and grandeur riva©"ling those of the capital and major ®$cities. During the Tang and Song dyλ≤nasties, the practice of lighting‍ ↓‌ lanterns for the New Yγ✘‌ear and decorating with festive ligh✘↕β​ts around the Lantern Festival‌✘• gradually took root in the Zigong reλλgion. At that time, ×✔folk performances such as acrobatics an‍÷♥δd juggling were also common d®$$uring these lantern-lighting cel✘σ‍•ebrations, greatly entertaining the cr₹>​owds. In the second year of the Chunxi→≈♣ era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1175Ω‌©), Lu You wrote in his♠≤∞₽ poem “Qin Yuan Chun”: “Parted from Qi ↓₽'n Tower, in the blink of an eye, spring÷♦ returns, and lanterns are lit→©≠ once more.” This indα✔λΩicates that hanging and light≥• <ing lanterns during the Ω♣‌New Year had become an established♦↓™₩ folk custom in the Zigong region by≈€<♥ that time. Of course, this   →<differed from the fu↑εlly formed lantern festival tha™β≠t would later emerge. Tελhus, the Tang and Song dynasties λ represent the embryonic or initial pσ♠hase of Zigong''''''''s lant<‍≤×ern festival. The festival took shap ♦e during the Qingming period, gradua≠σγlly evolving into a large-scale f ∞≥₽olk cultural event with relatively fixπγ∞ed connotations, held during ™₹' specific periods, and possessing a→£ distinct lineage of transmissio>♦‌n. Along the developmental traje• ctory of Zigong''''''''π‌s lantern festival during the ↔∞‌≤Ming and Qing dynasties, sever ≥al key nodes emerged, becoming distinct✘φive local features andδπ₩ highlights of the festi"׶val.

One such highlight is th↕≠←∑e Sky Lantern Festival. ↓α‍Beginning on the seventh day of th≈∞®e first lunar month, te♣"♣mples and shrines would erec™∞±£t lantern poles, hang red lanterns, an☆≠₽d hold sacrificial ceremonies."γσα This event was known as the Skyγ₽ ™ Festival or Sky Lantern Festival. T ‌φ®emples were adorned with≠©←φ lanterns and decorations, with lantern♠•  poles standing before theβ m bearing 33 to 36 lanterns. Smaller ∞×temples would light the “Nine Empero×εr Lanterns,” featuring nine lanterns on∞¶↔ each side of the pole. T ''he duration of the lantern diπ☆₽₩splay ranged from a mini‍ε×εmum of three days to over a ≤★♣month, depending on the amount of Ω&φδlamp oil donated by devout believers. δ>↔The climax of the Sky Lant‌♣ern Festival occurs on≥& the night of the fifteenth λ§ ©day of the first lunar month, the Lante$ ☆§rn Festival. After nightfall, bes€♠≥ ides lighting the tal♣★×l lantern poles and holding lante∞₩<rns high in front of and insi↑¶✔de the temples, fireworks and <☆≥firecrackers are set off, dragonφ'∏​ and lion dances are performed, and &∏☆¥various acrobatic shows take•✔>≈ place. 

The second major festi↔↕♥•val was the Five Emperors Lantern Feε‍§stival, an extension of t&&he Sky Lantern Festival. In the σ✘Gongjing area, a temple naφ×med “Five Emperors Cave” was s®§'βaid to have originated from a mountain ÷♦≥πcave. After its establishment, the Ω✘δ temple became a place of intense→✔ religious devotion. From €₽$the Winter Solstice ¶•to the Spring Festival, th¥™e temple was adorned with lanterns an>δΩλd decorations. Worshipers λ ​ came to pay homage to the Five ♥♦∑≤Emperors, and those making or fulfi↔≠≈πlling vows carried offerings in a♠♣‌ continuous stream. From the eighth ≤₹day of the first lunar month, lanter♥φ&n poles were erected and red lantern€•s lit, culminating in®§↓™ peak worship activit→λies on the fifteenth day—the L÷₩£antern Festival. Nightfa×Ωll brought fireworks displ±∑αays and firecracker blasts, creating ∞♦§∞an extraordinary, all-night revelr≈≠₩y.

Third was the Floating River Lantδσ✔erns, also known as Re×♦leasing River Lanterns. Historical re♥←←cords indicate that during the Qianlon₽&πg reign of the Qing Dynasty, the₽​ Guojing Guizhou Temple already host©<"ed Ullambana festival<♥s. The festival lasts 5 to 7 days, feat∞←↕>uring activities like floatin ™g river lanterns and offering food÷∏ to the hungry ghosts. In t↓£'he Zigong area, the Ullambanaδ×‍  Festival and floating river lanterns λ©typically begin two da♣φ₹ys before the Mid-Autumn Festival, whic>‌↔₹h falls on the fifteenth day of₩®↕ the seventh lunar month♥β≠. Vegetarian offerings are m♠≥‌ ade to the Buddha, praye£δrs are offered, and prostrations ar¶®γδe performed, seeking th←×e great compassion of the Bod↕↕♠hisattva to rescue anc¥←♦estors and liberate the spirit'←s of the deceased. Sutra recitatio&$©δns and rituals are performed, alon♠★∏✘g with water-land ceremonie£☆s, to appease wanderi₹​ng spirits and prevent them from distur&​bing the mortal realm. Monks and✔✔ devotees gather at riverbanks an ≥←d ponds. Amidst chanting and pr"γ✔ayers, they place the river lanterns onγβ₽λ the water to drift frε'eely. The foremost lanterns, collective♠​✘πly called “lotus seed lanterns” ↕δα♣or “carp lanterns,” are designated as©∑α" the “leading lanterns.” ★$• The remaining lanterns, mo≥‍↑stly red, cone-shaped pa∞£per lanterns, follow behind, also s&±♣↑et adrift. Sometimes the river lanteβ£♦•rn release occurs at✘↑Ω© night. The lanterns♣¶↓≠, like a starry sky, flow slowly, £​€>evoking profound imagination ¶∏©and presenting a magnificent sight.

The fourth tradition γ±is the “Imperial Festival,” t ♣ <he most grand of which oc↓↓λcurred in the first yeε₽ar of the Xuantong reign (1909) ≤↕during the late Qing∞→ Dynasty. That year, Emperor Guan₹&×Ωgxu passed away, Emperor Xuantong ascenβ¥→ded the throne, and Princ♥↕e Chun served as regent. ↕π←↕Zigong hosted a grand lan≠₹¶tern festival dubbed the “Imp∑×γ¶erial Festival.” The memorial hall for≤" Emperor Guangxu was set up at the Wσαest Qin Guild Hall, adorned with 'λcolorful lanterns throughout. €↓∞Centering on this hall, €÷♠♠the “Hiding Under the Sky” d★↑‍isplays were arranged along♥​ three main routes, encompassing£φ× nearly all streets in the ZiliuβΩ© region—an unprecedented scale. At nig ∞♥htfall, when the lanterns were lit, sσ™€≠trolling through the streets♦$®≤ immersed one in a ten-mile river of l≥$₩ight. This “Hide the S•>®≈ky, Cross the Sea” specγ ÷£tacle dazzled with v &☆ibrant colors by day and brilliant∏¶↓ lights by night, drawing throngs oε₹f visitors and creating extrao®∏£rdinary bustle.

In Zigong''''''''s lantern festival÷₩£s, dragon lantern performances—also kn€→ ←own as dragon dances or €♥♣✘dragon lantern displays—accomp→'γ anied the celebrations. Tradi♦‍tionally, lanterns were unveiled oφσ§✔n the first day of the≈✘σ lunar new year and retired on t♣™♣♥he sixteenth. By the ×₩ late Qing and Republican eras,←→γ festival activities exp‍♦anded to include events lik↔>¥e the Lantern Procession. Historica×₹πl records indicate Zigong''''''''s '"✔Lantern Procession originated during th♣ε‍e Qing Dynasty. During the Lγσ¥antern Festival, people woul ≥™d carry lanterns while visiting neigh ★×bors, and children would ☆εshowcase their handmade∏¶× lanterns to compete for the best≠₽β→ designs. From the Qi‌&ng Dynasty to the early Republi↑φα☆c era, the Ziliujing salt m☆ erchant families organized successive  ¶processions during the Lantern ↓γ Festival period, led by festiveφ$‌™ drum bands and featuring la♣≈★"ntern-carrying parades. Leading  ¥the procession were a pair of l≈ Ωarge gauze lanterns, followed by fou↔☆≥r or five pairs of round lant$σ®♣erns. Next came rectangulaβ€r lanterns made of bamboo frames c€α‍overed with oiled paper, each bearing v↓&•ermilion characters indic>σating the family nam¶≤€εe and ancestral hall. Be₩δhind these square lanterns were b↑§₩♠amboo torches (bright tubes), foll≈✘↑owed by another group of lantern bearerλ♠s accompanied by New Year drum and goπ↔γng bands. The surging cro↑≈εwds of lantern bearersπδ♣® and spectators filled the str∑<eets to overflowing. From the ‍ "victory of the Xinhai Revolut≤§•'ion until the founding of the Peo∏÷₹ple''''''''s Republic, the L↓≈ antern Festival was ge₹​nerally held on Octobeε∞ε©r 10th each year. Lantern artisans δ₩≥®displayed remarkable creativity‍≈♠, crafting diverse designs—moα÷stly depicting flowers, plan‌∑ts, insects, fish, birds, and bea≥"sts in vivid, lifelike colors. Some  ✘♦lanterns ingeniously conveyed deeper m♦♣£eanings through their♠→ forms.

The Lantern Festival has evolved over Ω★time, its forms unfolding t‌→hrough historical continuity. Peelinπγα≠g back the fabric of time to trace its " origins, one senses its profound ♣€ ∑ritualistic essence. The Chinese ≈♥™ people cherish shared joy, aλ<£nd lantern viewing stands§¶"≤ as a vital pillar of this communal  ••celebration.