Designed Paper Lanterns
5:42 pm
The two countries most famous for designed paper lanterns are China and Japan. These lanterns are now popularly used as decorative lighting in most countries for illuminating many events.
Various calming terms and sayings are used on lanterns such as peace, strength, love etc.Decorative paper lanterns normally come in five types, called “crystal magic”, “rolling paper”, “baby’s bottom”, “tomato lights” and “Buddha’s gastronomy”.
The first category is typically used to decorate festivals at shrines. Tomato lights are lanterns resembling huge balls. This type is generally coloured red, and rolling paper lamps are usually made in cylindrical shapes.Bars and restaurants use these types widely, while baby’s bottom lanterns are usually popular as decorative lights at Christmas. These are somewhat smaller compared to other illuminative paper lanterns.
The Japanese paper lanterns are usually circular in design, although other shapes are also available under the Japanese label. The typical colour is white, although red is also used.China and Japan use similarly varied colours for lanterns, hence there is hardly any difference in lantern design from one country to the other.
There is not much difference between Chinese and Japanese lanterns as many different colours are used in the making of both types. Unlike in the past, decorative paper lanterns are now used for many occasions and they come with various encouraging phrases on them as well. Since kanji is identical to Chinese letters, it is difficult to distinguish Chinese paper lanterns from Japanese.
Regardless of the festive season or festival, decorative lamps are now very common. Paper lanterns are able to increase happiness or peace of mind according to the occasion or festival in which they are used.
Cody Scholberg, a lighting expert, writes about chinese paper lantern. Check out this post on using white paper lanterns !