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The lantern festival is one of the most important festivals which have originated in the Western Han Dynasty which is supposed to bring loads of good luck. This festival as the name suggest is about hanging lanterns and is usually celebrated on the 15 th of the first month of the lunar calendar. In the territory of Xian there is a village called Sanzhao village which is famous for making lanterns. This village has been making lanterns since the days of the Tang dynasty. Senior villagers are of the opinion that their villagers have been making lanterns for the past thousand years or so. Today not only do they sell their lanterns to other parts of China they also export it to other places like South Korea. Once the festival starts the whole place is abuzz with activities and lanterns are seen everywhere right from the largest commodity market in the Kangfu street to other lesser known places. The lantern festival is also known as Yuanxio Festival and it has been celebrated in China for more than two thousand years. There are quite a few legends about the starting of the festival; one legend has that the lanterns were lit to save the world from the heavenly wrath. Another explanation goes that the lanterns were lit by human beings so that they could see god. The festival has undergone quite a bit of transformation according to the dynasty in which it had been celebrated but the red lantern has been common to all these celebrations. The basic design of the lantern has not changed over the years and the flame is not naked but soft and soothing. However with the passage of time and advent of technology several techniques have been put to place to achieve dazzling results. One should try to visit Xian during the lantern festival to enjoy the festival to the fullest.
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