dēnglong: 灯笼 - Lantern

• Keywords: dēnglong, 灯笼, Chinese lantern, red lantern, meaning of Chinese lanterns, paper lantern, Spring Festival lantern, Lantern Festival, Chinese New Year decoration, sky lantern, Chinese culture symbols.
• Summary: The Chinese term 灯笼 (dēnglong) refers to the iconic Chinese lantern, a symbol deeply embedded in Chinese culture. Far more than a simple light source, these lanterns—especially the vibrant red ones—are powerful emblems of joy, good fortune, and family reunion. They are most prominently displayed during major celebrations like Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and the Lantern Festival, where they illuminate streets and homes, creating a festive atmosphere and carrying wishes for a bright future. Understanding the meaning of the 灯笼 is key to appreciating the visual and emotional landscape of Chinese holidays.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dēnglong
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A lantern, especially a traditional Chinese paper or silk lantern.
• In a Nutshell: A 灯笼 is a traditional Chinese lantern, typically made with a collapsible frame of bamboo or wire and covered in paper or silk. While its original purpose was illumination, its modern role is almost entirely symbolic and decorative. It represents the “light” of hope and the “warmth” of celebration. The classic red, spherical 灯笼 is a ubiquitous sight during festivals, symbolizing happiness and the gathering of family.

• 灯 (dēng): This character means “lamp” or “light”. It is composed of the fire radical 火 (huǒ) on the left, indicating its connection to flame and light, and the phonetic component 丁 (dīng) on the right, which gives the character its sound.
• 笼 (lóng): This character means “cage” or “basket”. It's composed of the bamboo radical ⺮ on top, suggesting an object woven from bamboo, and the character for dragon 龙 (lóng) on the bottom, which primarily serves as the phonetic component.

When combined, 灯笼 (dēnglong) literally translates to a “light cage,” a perfect and poetic description of a frame (cage) holding a source of light.

The 灯笼 is one of the most powerful and recognizable symbols of Chinese culture, carrying immense historical and emotional weight. Its significance is most deeply felt during two major festivals: 1. Spring Festival (春节 - Chūnjié): During Chinese New Year, streets, homes, and businesses are lavishly decorated with red lanterns. According to legend, the fearsome beast Nian (年) was afraid of the color red and loud noises. Hanging red lanterns became a tradition to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, ensuring a safe and prosperous new year. Their round shape also symbolizes family reunion (团圆 - tuányuán), a central theme of the holiday. 2. The Lantern Festival (元宵节 - Yuánxiāo Jié): This festival, held on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marks the official end of the New Year celebrations. It is a night of spectacle where people of all ages go out to view massive, elaborate lantern displays, often shaped like dragons, zodiac animals, or historical scenes. A popular activity is solving riddles (猜灯谜 - cāi dēngmí) that are written on the lanterns. Comparison to a Western Concept: A good comparison is to Christmas lights or Jack-o'-lanterns. Like Christmas lights, 灯笼 create a festive, magical atmosphere. However, while Christmas lights are generally about seasonal cheer, the red 灯笼 carries the more specific and potent symbolism of warding off evil and attracting good fortune. Like a Jack-o'-lantern, it is tied to a specific cultural story (Nian vs. Stingy Jack), but the 灯笼's associations with family, hope, and prosperity are much broader and more pervasive in daily culture than the spooky, single-holiday function of the Jack-o'-lantern.

While rooted in tradition, the 灯笼 remains a vibrant part of modern life.

• Festival Decoration: This is its primary use. During Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day holidays, cities and towns are awash in the warm glow of red lanterns.
• Commercial Ambiance: Restaurants, tea houses, hotels, and shops often use lanterns year-round as a quintessential decorative element to create a traditional, welcoming, and “authentically Chinese” atmosphere.
• Art and Modern Design: Artists and designers incorporate lantern motifs into modern art, fashion, and architecture, reinterpreting the traditional form in new and creative ways.
• Sky Lanterns (孔明灯 - Kǒngmíng dēng): A specific type of small hot-air balloon lantern, often released during festivals. People write their wishes on the lantern before letting it float up to the heavens. (Note: Due to fire hazards, releasing these is now banned in many urban areas).

The connotation of 灯笼 is overwhelmingly positive, evoking feelings of happiness, nostalgia, warmth, and celebration.

• Example 1:
  • 春节的时候，家家户户都会挂红灯笼。
  • Pinyin: Chūnjié de shíhou, jiājiāhùhù dōu huì guà hóng dēnglong.
  • English: During the Spring Festival, every household will hang red lanterns.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes the most common and important use of lanterns. “家家户户 (jiājiāhùhù)” is a common idiom for “every household”.
• Example 2:
  • 这家饭店的灯笼真漂亮！
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā fàndiàn de dēnglong zhēn piàoliang!
  • English: The lanterns at this restaurant are so beautiful!
  • Analysis: Shows the use of lanterns as everyday decoration to create ambiance.
• Example 3:
  • 我们去公园看灯笼展吧。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen qù gōngyuán kàn dēnglong zhǎn ba.
  • English: Let's go to the park to see the lantern exhibition.
  • Analysis: Refers to the large-scale lantern displays common during the Lantern Festival. “展 (zhǎn)” means exhibition or show.
• Example 4:
  • 孩子们提着小灯笼在街上跑来跑去。
  • Pinyin: Háizi men tízhe xiǎo dēnglong zài jiēshang pǎo lái pǎo qù.
  • English: The children were running around on the street carrying small lanterns.
  • Analysis: “提着 (tízhe)” means “carrying”. This paints a classic, joyful image of the Lantern Festival.
• Example 5:
  • 元宵节的传统活动是猜灯笼上的谜语。
  • Pinyin: Yuánxiāo Jié de chuántǒng huódòng shì cāi dēnglong shàng de míyǔ.
  • English: The traditional activity of the Lantern Festival is to guess the riddles on the lanterns.
  • Analysis: This directly explains the tradition of “猜灯谜 (cāi dēngmí)”.
• Example 6:
  • 夜晚，成千上万的孔明灯笼升入天空。
  • Pinyin: Yèwǎn, chéngqiān shàngwàn de kǒngmíng dēnglong shēng rù tiānkōng.
  • English: At night, thousands upon thousands of sky lanterns rose into the sky.
  • Analysis: This specifies the “孔明灯 (kǒngmíng dēng)” or sky lantern. “成千上万 (chéngqiān shàngwàn)” is an idiom for “thousands upon thousands.”
• Example 7:
  • 你能帮我把这个灯笼挂在门上吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ bǎ zhège dēnglong guà zài mén shàng ma?
  • English: Can you help me hang this lantern on the door?
  • Analysis: A simple, practical request using the common verb “挂 (guà)”, to hang.
• Example 8:
  • 这些灯笼不只是装饰品，它们象征着好运和团圆。
  • Pinyin: Zhèxiē dēnglong bùzhǐshì zhuāngshìpǐn, tāmen xiàngzhēng zhe hǎoyùn hé tuányuán.
  • English: These lanterns are not just decorations; they symbolize good luck and reunion.
  • Analysis: This sentence explicitly states the deep cultural meaning behind the object.
• Example 9:
  • 我买了一个手工制作的宫廷灯笼作为纪念品。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ mǎile yíge shǒugōng zhìzuò de gōngtíng dēnglong zuòwéi jìniànpǐn.
  • English: I bought a handmade palace lantern as a souvenir.
  • Analysis: Introduces a specific, more ornate type of lantern: the “宫廷灯笼 (gōngtíng dēnglong)”, or palace lantern.
• Example 10:
  • 古代，人们用灯笼来照明。
  • Pinyin: Gǔdài, rénmen yòng dēnglong lái zhàomíng.
  • English: In ancient times, people used lanterns for illumination.
  • Analysis: This sentence touches upon the original, practical function of the lantern, contrasting it with its modern symbolic role.

• Not just any “Lamp”: A common mistake for learners is to use 灯笼 for any kind of lamp. A 灯笼 is specifically a Chinese-style lantern. For a modern desk lamp, you must use 台灯 (táidēng). For a ceiling light, use 吊灯 (diàodēng). The general word for “lamp” or “light” is just 灯 (dēng).
  • Incorrect: 我打开灯笼看书。(Wǒ dǎkāi dēnglong kàn shū.) - “I turned on the lantern to read.”
  • Correct: 我打开台灯看书。(Wǒ dǎkāi táidēng kàn shū.) - “I turned on the desk lamp to read.”
• Function vs. Form: Remember that in 99% of modern contexts, the symbolic and decorative function of a 灯笼 is far more important than its ability to produce light. People talk about hanging them, admiring them, and their meaning, not usually about “turning them on”.
• Red isn't the only color: While red is the most famous and auspicious color, lanterns come in many colors, shapes, and sizes, especially during the Lantern Festival displays. The color and shape can carry different meanings or be purely for artistic effect.

• 元宵节 (Yuánxiāo Jié): The Lantern Festival, the holiday where lanterns are the main event.
• 春节 (Chūnjié): The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the most important holiday where red lanterns are used for decoration and luck.
• 灯谜 (dēngmí): Lantern riddle. A riddle written on a lantern for people to solve.
• 孔明灯 (Kǒngmíng dēng): Sky lantern or Kongming lantern, a type of miniature hot-air balloon used for making wishes.
• 挂 (guà): To hang. The verb most commonly associated with lanterns (e.g., 挂灯笼 - guà dēnglong).
• 喜庆 (xǐqìng): Festive; joyous. An adjective used to describe the atmosphere created by lanterns.
• 团圆 (tuányuán): Reunion (especially of family). A core cultural value symbolized by the round shape of many lanterns.
• 装饰 (zhuāngshì): Decoration. A primary function of lanterns in modern China.
• 象征 (xiàngzhēng): To symbolize; symbol. A verb/noun frequently used when discussing the meaning of lanterns.