CCTV News: Zhanqi Village in She County, Anhui Province is an ancient village with a history of thousands of years. The intangible cultural heritage Zhanqi Fish Lantern is still passed down there. Every Chinese New Year, villagers will dance fish lanterns, big and small, hoping for a good weather and a prosperous life in the new year.

Zhanqi Yulan County-level Intangible Cultural Heritage inheritor Wang Yufang introduced that gongs and drums are ringing and feet are itchy. When the sound of gongs and drums was heard, the villagers would come over from all directions to see the fish lamp. This is the moment of reunion, and everyone comes back here and gets together. Just like a baton, I want to pass it on and let the fish lamp "go" a little longer.

Ear the twelfth lunar month, the New Year atmosphere in Zhanqi Village, She County, Anhui is getting stronger. Villager Wang Yufang came to Mei Jiang’s house in the village early in the morning to find suitable bamboo.

The common bamboo in Huangshan is a good material for weaving fish lamp bones. Sawing the bamboo into a suitable length and short section, then breaking it into bamboo strips is the first step in making fish lamps. And how to make the fish body strong and flexible? Wang Yufang knew the mystery. Wang Yufang introduced that through the ring and semi-circle, such as the "U" shape, which is intertwined through this crossing method, it may have a certain structure and it is both of them focused on it.

The fish lamp has been passed down in Zhanqi Village for 800 years. 28-year-old music teacher Wang Yufang is the youngest inheritor of the Zhanqi Fish Lamp Project.

Wang Yufang said that when he was a child, many children in the village would make some fish lamp toys with the simplest structure. When he was in junior high school, Wang Yufang asked for advice while thinking about it. He made a two-meter-long big fish lamp for the first time, and since then he has formed an indissoluble bond with Zhanqi fish lamp. Today, the fish lanterns in She County, Huangshan have been included in the "New Year customs" category in the intangible cultural heritage list.

Making fish lamps is not a lifestyle in Zhanqi Village, and naturally lacks the motivation for the law to spread.

Wang Yufang introduced that this thing does not strictly mean to be a disciple, because it itself is a common object belonging to all the villagers of Zhanqi Village. So as long as you are interested in fish lamps, you can go and find a master who has experienced fish lamps to ask him for advice.

The cotton paper used to be used as fish skin has now been replaced with a tougher cloth. Covering it outside the woven fish lamp skeleton, Wang Yufang began to depict fish scales and auspicious clouds. Over the past few hundred years, the appearance of Zhanqi Fish Lamp has not changed much overall. The word "king" on the top of the big fish's head and the festive red body are still inheriting the aesthetic taste of Chinese folk traditions.

As an intangible cultural heritage, the Zhanqi fish lamp inherits not only a production process, but also a lifestyle. Large fish lanterns symbolizing reunion and blessings are usually placed in the ancestral halls of the village. The candle used to be used as a light source was replaced with a light bulb that used a battery.

As the new year approaches, Zhanqi Village holds a fish lantern event. Hundreds of tourists come here to see the unique scenery of winter nights.

The huge fish lamp danced in the crowd, sending blessings to people in accordance with ancient customs. Wang Yufang also appeared in the fish lantern dance team. The fish lantern he made himself in his hand was "swimming" on the road to his hometown. The red fish lamps record their attachment to their hometown, carry the joy of people's reunion, and also express their longing for the future.

Wang Yufang said that he wanted to place the joys and childish fun he experienced in his childhood on this little fish lamp, and pass it on to the people around him.