Innovation could provide a brighter future for Taiwan’s sky lanterns
The ancient tradition is coming under fire from critics who complain of environmental damage and fire risks. Yuan Quan and Jia Zhao report for Xinhua.
The Chinese custom of flying lanterns goes back centuries. However, while the lanterns are symbols of peace and good fortune, they are now under threat.
Traditional sky lanterns are made from paper wrapped round a bamboo frame. After rising 300 to 500 meters in the air, the flame suspended from the base goes out and the lantern falls to the ground.
This makes them “flying garbage” and a “safety threat”, according to critics who want the lanterns abolished.
In response, Taiwan entrepreneur Shao Ai-ting, 26, argues that the lanterns should be made so they burn up in mid-air, leaving no debris to cause pollution or damage.
“The sky lantern is an important cultural attraction in Taiwan,” Shao said. “If we just stand by and do nothing, they really could be banned. That would be a great pity, wouldn’t it?”
Blessing or blemish
Also known as Kongming Lanterns, the flying torches are believed to have been invented by renowned military strategist Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) as a means of passing military information during wartime.
During the Qing Dynasty (16441911), migrants from Fujian province brought them to Taiwan. Some settled in Pingxi, a hillside town in the north of the island. Threatened by bandits, the residents often fled into the mountains. Those left in the town would use lanterns to signal safety and call their families home. As a result, they became known as “safety lanterns” or “blessing lanterns”.
Sky lanterns are arguably one of the best-known symbols of Taiwan. The Taiwan Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo was built in the shape of a huge sky lantern, and during holidays the number of visitors to Pingxi has been known to reach 100,000.
Pingxi’s annual Lantern Festival held during Spring Festival, aka Lunar New Year, provides a major spectacle as thousands of lanterns rise in the darkness.
The following day, however, is another story: fallen lanterns are scattered on roofs, treetops, in streams, everywhere. They become garbage.
Most local dealers make lanterns with waterproof paper and adhesive tape or iron wire, but these materials do not degrade easily. It has been reported that the iron frames have injured or trapped wild animals, and in some cases the lanterns have caused fires or traffic accidents.
“Don’t let the lantern with your dreams become a nightmare for locals,” said a petition drawn up by some Pingxi residents who are calling for a ban.
That sentiment was echoed by a YouTube viewer writing under the name Afengxueping: “I really don’t encourage the release of sky lanterns. I have seen a falling lantern kill an owl.”
During the 2014 Lantern Festival, environmentalists criticized the mayors of three cities in Taiwan for releasing sky lanterns together. Local authorities were required to re-evaluate the risks and tighten controls.
“Rather than the lantern itself, it is the garbage the lantern produces that should be banned,” Shao said.
Traditional beliefs and customs should not be prohibited because of environmental concerns. The two are not contradictory, but can be balanced.”
Amber Chen,
Economically friendly
In 2016, Shao founded a company called Cultural Bank to record, protect and modernize Taiwan’s traditional culture. Since then, her team has manufactured environmentally friendly lanterns. At one point, they considered making lanterns from rice paper, so if they dropped in the mountainous areas, the paper would dissolve during rain showers.
In February, Shao used the internet to crowdfund the company’s latest lanterns, raising NT$1.6 million ($52,000) in about three months. They updated the bamboo frame so the flame burns out in mid-air “with nothing falling on the ground”, Shao said.
She plans to price an eco-friendly lantern at NT$350 to NT$450, two
Reaching a balance
The fear is that sky lanterns could go the way of other ancient customs that have already given way to environmental concerns.
Mainland cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have banned fireworks during Spring Festival in light of heavy air pollution, injuries and fire risks. In Taiwan, some firework shows at popular templeblessing ceremonies have been canceled in recent years.
In response, many people like Shao are trying to keep traditional customs alive through innovation.
For example, a company in Taiwan called Culture Art and Nature has turned scraps of firework paper into red envelopes or blessing charms.
Amber Chen, the company’s activity manager, said the idea of recycling firework paper explores new connections between believers and Matsu, the Chinese goddess of the sea.
“Traditional beliefs and customs should not be prohibited because of environmental concerns. The two are not contradictory, but can be balanced,” Chen said.
Shao is planning to establish a green fund and use some of the money to plant trees that could absorb the carbon emitted by the burning lanterns.
“Protecting our culture is something to which everyone can contribute,” she said.