The Lantern Festival


Visite de l’Impératrice au pavillon Rouge le jour de la fête des lanternes :
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Le jour même, fut émis un décret ordonnant à l’Impériale Compagne Jia de s’acquitter de la visite aux parents, le quinzième jour de la première lune de l’année prochaine, jour de la première pansélène. Ce décret reçu, chez les Jia, personne ne connut plus de répit, de jour ni de nuit.
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Sur les deux rives du cours d’eau limpide, dont les méandres simulaient des ondulations de dragon, s’étendaient des balustrades de marbre, sur lesquelles étaient fixées des lanternes de cristal ou de verre de toutes formes, à l’épreuve du vent. Leur lumière argentée se répandait sur l’onde en flots de neige. Plus haut, aux branches des abricotiers, des saules et autres arbres, qui ne portaient naturellement plus fleurs ni feuilles, étaient accrochées des fleurs artificielles de toutes nuances, faites de soie, de mousseline, de taffetas, de papier ou de papyrus, et plusieurs lanternes étaient suspendues à chaque arbre. S’y ajoutaient, sur l’étang, des lanternes simulant des fleurs de lotus, des feuilles de nymphéas, des canards ou des hérons, et faites de nacre et de plumes. De sorte que, s’illuminant en haut comme en bas de lumières rivales, le ciel et l’eau brillaient d’un même éclat. C’était vraiment un monde de verreries, un univers de perles et de gemmes.
Le rêve dans le Pavillon Rouge de Cao Xuequin
Récit XVIII Page 389, 392, Pléiade


The Lantern Festival

On the evening of the 15th day after the Lunar New Year, the Chinese celebrate the “Lantern Festival,” marking the grand finale of the festivities. It’s one last excuse for families to gather, share laughter, and savour moments of togetherness. Tradition dictates that red lanterns are lit to ward off malevolent spirits. Their flickering flames, pirouetting in the darkness, banish evil forces and protect homes for the year ahead.
Among the many legends tied to this celebration, one of the most captivating deserves to be retold.

At the dawn of a new lunar year, fearsome beasts would emerge from the bowels of the earth, spreading chaos and destruction. One fateful day, believing they were defending themselves from one such monster, villagers accidentally shot down a sacred bird belonging to the Jade Emperor’s celestial menagerie. Outraged by this sacrilege, the Emperor decreed that their village would be burned to the ground on the 15th night.
Fortunately, the Emperor’s daughter, moved by the harshness of the punishment, secretly warned the villagers of their impending doom. Despair swept through the village, and all hope seemed lost until a wise old man proposed a cunning plan: they would illuminate the village with red lanterns.
On the dreaded night, celestial warriors flew over the region, ready to engulf the village in flames. But upon seeing the thousands of glowing red lanterns, they assumed the fire had already done its job. Fooled by the spectacle, they returned to the Emperor, reporting that the village was nothing but ashes and smoke.
A few days later, the Jade Emperor discovered the villagers’ clever trick. Recognising the unfairness of his sentence, he granted them his pardon.
This legend leaves us with two timeless lessons:
- Human ingenuity and wit can outmanoeuvre even the darkest of fates.
- The wisdom of an elder, shared through sound advice, can save an entire community.
During the New Year festivities, we had the honour of welcoming esteemed visitors and friends. On this occasion, we savoured two varieties of Chinese sorghum white spirits: one offered by a wealthy friend from Northeast China and the other by a diplomat from Taipei. These beverages are traditionally said to promise longevity.
Messrs Paul Miguel, André Yuste, and I raised our glasses, hoping to benefit from these auspicious effects, ready to offer wise counsel to younger generations for many more years to come.
Additionally, Monsieur Delaunay, Mayor of Lognes, Madame Ngangmeni of Paris Marne-la-Vallée, Monsieur Galet of Epamane, as well as Mesdames Boone and Ferjule, each accompanied by a delegation, had the opportunity to admire a photography exhibition dedicated to Tiksit, a Siberian locality in the Far North, captured through the lens of the talented Evguénia Arbugueva. It is anticipated that this remote settlement will, in the coming years, become a major global port hub.



