Villagers in E China's Anhui hold fish-shaped lanterns parade to celebrate Lantern Festival

Farmers in Wangmantian village, east China's Anhui province, lit up fish-shaped lanterns on the evening of Feb. 24 to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which fell on Feb. 26.

Fish-shaped lanterns in Wangmantian village, Shexian county, Huangshan city of Anhui, have a history of over 600 years, and have been designated an intangible cultural heritage of the city.

Every year during the Lantern Festival, local people hold fish-shaped lanterns parades to pray for good harvests, fortune and prosperity.

Thanks to the geographical and historical features of the village, Wangmantian has developed its own unique style of fish-shaped lanterns. Holding fish-shaped lantern parades has become a folklore activity that passes on the village’s traditional culture and aesthetics.

Wangmantian village was listed as one of the fifth batch of traditional Chinese villages, and included as a provincial-level beautiful village in 2020.