Fujian villagers celebrate Lantern Festival with traditional ceremonies

Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province, is always one of the first townships to prepare for the Lantern Festival. Local residents celebrate the festival with dragon dances and stilt-walking, accompanied by their unique tradition of building orange pagodas.

Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month, signifying the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This year’s Lantern Festival will take place on Feb. 5. However, local residents in Jiangdong village have already started their celebrations.

On Jan. 24, 2023, the third day of the first lunar month, Jiangdong villagers were busy piling up oranges in Pukou Palace, a local custom in which they pray for blessings, safety and good fortune in the New Year. The orange pagoda originates from the fruit shrine that was built as a tribute to Imperial Consort Mei of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), whose hometown was Jiangdong village.

Jiangdong villagers build orange pagodas in Pukou Palace of Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (People’s Daily Online/Lin Ying)

The process of piling up orange pagodas requires a precise division of labor. At 3 a.m. local time, villagers gathered in Pukou Palace, where they must build 15 orange pagodas that reach from the altar to the palace rooftop. Children and the elderly sorted tons of oranges according to size, and handed them to youngsters to pile up, with big oranges going at the bottom and small oranges at the top. The oranges were placed around the iron column at the center of the pagoda. Every two layers, the oranges were stabilized by round plates. When the oranges touch the rooftop, builders added festive flowers at the top of the pagoda. Each family or community assembles one orange pagoda to represent themselves, and glue couplets and the word “Fu” (which means “blessing” and “good fortune”) to their respective pagodas.

Young people build orange pagodas in Pukou Palace of Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. The orange pagoda of Pukou Palace is one of Fujian Province’s intangible cultural heritages. (People’s Daily Online/Lin Ying)

An elderly lady adds decorations to a pagoda in Pukou Palace of Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (People’s Daily Online/Yao Wenfeng)

Every year, locals of Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province prepare thousands of kilos of oranges to build orange pagodas. (People’s Daily Online/Yao Wenfeng)

“Since I was a child, we have piled up orange pagodas every year,” says Hu Chunying, a local senior villager, “I hope everything goes well, everybody will be healthy, have good fortune, and our country becomes better in the coming year.”

Elderly people and children sort oranges by size in Pukou Palace of Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province, Jan. 24, 2023. (People’s Daily Online/Lin Ying)

The celebrations are not limited to inside the Pukou Palace. Folk art performances that take place around the palace attract many visitors. These performances include local music, dragon dances, and stilt-walking.

Folklore actresses perform stilt-walking in Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (People’s Daily Online/Yao Wenfeng)

F

Folklore actresses perform dragon dancing in Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (People’s Daily Online/Yao Wenfeng)

“This is the local folklore music, and soon I will show you the intangible cultural heritage, orange pagoda!” says vlogger “Putian Xiaoer” to his audiences during one livestream. Many of his viewers are Putian expatriates or locals working outside of their hometown. “Live streaming those performances is quite popular. Many emigrants miss the celebrations in their hometown. That’s why I’m here to show them what this year’s ceremony is like,” the vlogger said.

A vlogger livestreams performances in Jiangdong village in Putian city, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (People’s Daily Online/Lin Ying)