The dragon dance during the Lantern Festival. [Photo/fujian-szwhg.chaoxing.com]

The Hakka Lantern Festival celebration primarily celebrated in the Hakka settlements of Liancheng, Yongding, and Shanghang in western Fujian province, has been recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item in the folk customs category.

The Hakka Lantern Festival celebration represents a unique fusion of ancient Central Plains cultural customs and local traditions, featuring the dragon dance, decorative lanterns, and firework displays.

The dragon dance involves families drawing lots based on their surnames to determine which part of the dragon each family will be responsible for crafting. Subsequently, these individual sections of the dragon are connected to form the complete dragon.

The running ancient numen of Yantou features strong men carrying sedan chairs with boys, symbolizing hope for good weather and abundant harvests.

In preparation for the festival, villagers purchase thousands of firecrackers, hanging them in dense cluster in front of houses. When the festival parade arrives at each household, incense is burned, candles are lit, and firecrackers are set off to usher in a prosperous year.

The Hakka Lantern Festival celebration in western Fujian vividly showcases the fusion of Han Chinese and local indigenous cultures, creating a distinctive Hakka festival characterized by crude quality, humanism, simplicity, and educational values. It is a crucial component of Hakka traditional culture, serving as a vital medium for the preservation of social structures and traditional values across generations, reflecting the Hakka people's customs, beliefs, and aesthetic demands.