The Spirit of Sea Adventurers Passed Down for a Century: The 33rd Yantai Huang-Bohai New Area Fishermen’s Lantern Festival
By Dazhong News reporters: Xing Chen, Chen Xiao, Li Zhen, Tang Miao, Han Yang, Cheng Guorun, Chen Weihang, Yantai
On February 10, the 13th day of the first lunar month, the 33rd Fishermen's Lantern Festival, a key component of the 2025 Ocean Grand Fair, commenced at Chuwang Village, Dajijia Street, Huang-Bohai New Area, Yantai. As a national intangible cultural heritage, the festival not only carries fishermen’s aspirations for a bountiful year of fish and shrimp but also ensures the preservation and promotion of fishing customs and the pioneering seafaring spirit through diverse folk activities.
Historical records indicate that the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival originated over 500 years ago. As a crucial part of Jiaodong's fishing folk culture, the festival is mainly celebrated in several fishing villages along a 45-kilometer coastline in the Yantai Development Zone. Among these, the celebrations in the three villages of Chuwang, Bajiao, and Luyang are considered the most influential due to their large-scale activities and profound social influence.
A Lively Atmosphere Onsite
Children Performing Peking Opera
"The only word to describe it is beautiful!" said Ms. Zhang, a local woman. She and her child immersed themselves in the lively atmosphere. She added, “The performances are beautiful, the intangible cultural heritage works are beautiful, the Yangge dances are beautiful, and the ceremony of the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival is beautiful. We feel happier in our hearts!" She believes that the festival is the most down-to-earth celebration for ordinary people, where its beauty is not just seen but also felt deep within.
Reporters observed at the scene: Despite the cold temperatures by the sea, the crowd was enthusiastic. On stage, the actors performed wholeheartedly, while the audience responded with fiery passion.
Enthusiastic Crowds
Local residents record the beautiful moments with their phones
“The Fishermen’s Lantern Festival is our equivalent of the Spring Festival, passed down through generations, and everyone feels a deep connection," said Liu Mingxing, an elderly fisherman. He shared that the tradition of the festival in the local area is rich with history and cultural significance. Whether through prayer rituals or the various folk activities, they all reflect the people's wishes for a smooth and prosperous year.
Yangko Dance Performance (Photo by Xiao Shuilian)
Yangko Dance Performance (Photo by Xiao Shuilian)
After the distinctive prayer ceremony, the lively Yangge Dance brought the crowd to heighten the festive atmosphere. To the thunderous beats of gongs and drums, the Yangge Dance troupe walked down from the stage to celebrate the festival with the audience.
“Our troupe has over 70 members, with the oldest being 70 years old and the youngest only 10. Everyone is thrilled and dancing with full energy,” said Liu Hangyuan, leader of the He Mei Yangge Dance Troupe. As a local Yangge Dance Troupe from Dajijia Street, they not only aim to showcase the spirit of modern fishermen but also to preserve and promote the folk culture passed down by previous generations.
Amid laughter and cheers, various folk performances followed one after another. Faced with this rich cultural feast, visiting tourists were captivated by the unique charm of the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival.
"I had read about the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival in Huang-Bohai New Area online and found it culturally profound. This year, I came here with expectations. After arriving, I can see that it truly lives up to its reputation," said Mr. Zhang from Jinan, who visited the festival during a business trip to Yantai. At the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival, he was deeply fascinated by the local folk culture. “I’ve recorded many videos to show my child when I get home, so he can experience the charm of Jiaodong culture.”
Folk Activities
Making Sugar Paintings
Fishermen's Lantern Grand Fair
Reporters learned that, in addition to the rich folk displays this year, the local area integrated the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival with rural revitalization to organize High-quality Products of Huang-Bohai—Fishermen’s Lantern Market activities filled with rural charm. The fair featured not only traditional activities, such as writing prayers and making sugar paintings, as well as local agricultural products like strawberries and seafood. These activities met the tourists' demands for folk culture and delicious food while injecting new energy into rural revitalization.
Since 2008, the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival has been inscribed as a national intangible cultural heritage item. In 2015, the China Folk Literature and Art Association awarded the Yantai Development Zone the title of Chinese Fishermen’s Lantern Culture Town, making it the first city in the country to receive such a designation.
Writing Prayers
At the Scene of the Fishermen's Lantern Festival
As a cultural tradition that has lasted for more than 500 years, the Fishermen’s Lantern Festival is not only a testament to the glory of Jiaodong but also witnesses the development of the Huang-Bohai New Area today. In the future, the cultural tourism department of New Area will continue to tap into local cultural resources, strengthen the cultural foundation, and leverage culture as a driving force to promote the development of local cultural brands, enhance the city’s cultural soft power, and stimulate innovation and creativity in culture to foster high-quality development in the cultural tourism industry.
