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November 29, 2009

Illumination of Chinese Paper Lanterns

Chinese use of paper lanterns dates back to 230 BC. They say hanging paper lanterns gives long life and good luck.

Chinese paper lanterns are hung out in China Town to give light and attract attention to the shops. Since the early stages of Chinese history there has been a wide variety of paper lanterns.

There are two types of paper lanterns, those which can be hung outside or inside homes and those which can be placed on the ground, softly illuminating whatever space needs lighting.

The ?baby?s bottom? is one of the five types of paper lantern available. It can be used with Christmas lights and is one of the types that fits in better with the more modern decorations. “Rolling paper lanterns” are used to hang outside places like bars and restaurants. The round mid-sized red lantern is the most common lantern. You will see large amounts of these lanterns in red light districts as it used to be associated with brothels. ?Big red? and “tomato lights” are common synonyms for this type. There is also the “crystal magic lantern”, which is made out of triangular or square panes made to look like crystals. “Buddha?s gastronomy” lanterns are very large and give out a lot of light. They are more commonly used outside temples or to illuminate festivals.

Most commonly used outside eating places like bars and restaurants are the ?rolling paper lanterns?. The classic red, round, mid-sized lantern is seen everywhere. Most commonly used in brothels in the early days, they are now seen in vast quantities in red light districts. They are also known as ?tomato lights? or the ?big red?. The “crystal magic lantern” comes in different shapes of triangular or square panes resembling a crystal. The lanterns which are pretty large and used outside temples or during festivals are called the “Buddha?s gastronomy”.

The simpler styles of paper lantern are easy to build and give a very trendy look to your home. This is the perfect choice to give that oriental touch you have been looking for to your living area. If you prefer to have home made decorations in your home, you can make them by yourself.

Chinese paper lanterns are a symbol of good luck and long life which softly illuminate your living area. Words such as peace, love and strength are commonly seen in Chinese lettering on these lanterns. Tan colours were most commonly used on lanterns in their early stages, but since they serve more as decoration nowadays they often sport very bold colours.

Cody Scholberg, a lighting expert, writes at the paper lanterns guide. Check out this post on using japanese paper lanterns to repel mosquitoes!

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