Preparing for the festivities

the place where the “three gods”are housed

Preparation work for the Lantern Festival celebration begins about two weeks before the event. The first priority is to select “Daguan” and “Erguan,” two “Lantern Officials” who are representatives of the “three gods”in charge of heaven, earth, and water. The “three gods”, referring to Yao, Shun and Yu, the three legendary Chinese ancestors who are believed to protect villagers from bad luck, and as the custom goes, they change their residences every year, going from one family to another. Senior and respected villagers select Daguan and Erguan, and their mission is to ensure a merry and festive Lantern Festival. Despite the fake “officialdom” and less-than-a-month term, selection criterions are demanding in terms of social status, leadership, wealth and family size. Those who are wealthy, generous and have a big family are more likely to be selected. Throughout time, the duties of Daguan and Erguan have also evolved into modern times; nowadays Daguan is always called chairman or director of the Lantern Festival celebration committee, and Erguan vice chairman.

Shehuo players are  rehearsing.

In addition to selecting the Lantern Officials, other preparation work is under way. Shehuo players are busy practicing. Performers of the local Jin Opera, Yang’er dance, and stilts, and gong and drum players are constantly rehearsing. Members of the celebration committee decorate the only street in the village with several pole-supported Pailous, archway-shaped structures covered with millet straw, evergreen pine and cypress branches. Among all the Pailous the most eye-catching one lies in the middle of the street, with four standing poles erected across the street forming three gates.

Colorful paper banners written with auspicious characters are hung across the street. These days every family buys a lantern to hang on their gates. But years ago, they used to make lanterns by hand with kaoliang haulms and paper, and some with dexterous skills even created lanterns in the shapes of watermelons or animals. Fireworks experts in the village spend days making traditional crackers, of which the most amazing one is “Laogan,” the several dozens of meters high, multi-layered super fireworks. The making of “Laogan” involves sophisticated craftsmanship, with every layer showing different visual effects and fire shapes such as “crane laying eggs”, “rat picking grapes”, and “monkey stirring up a hornet’s nest”.