The custom of viewing lanterns originated from the "burning lanterns for sacrifice" ceremony held by Zhang Daoling, a native of Pei Guofeng, when Emperor Shun Di of the Eastern Han Dynasty started the "Five-Gate Rice Road" in Hemingshan, Sichuan, which is the oldest known primitive Lantern Festival. During the Southern Dynasties, the custom of holding the traditional Lantern Festival appeared in Jiankang (now Nanjing), and its grand occasion was the highest in the country. Lantern Festival flourished in Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty.

Watching lanterns is an ancient folk culture in China. According to documents, as early as the beginning of the Southern Dynasties, the Lantern Festival was held in Nanjing, the capital city, which was the earliest recorded Lantern Festival in China.

In order to pray for a good weather, a happy family and a peaceful world, scenes decorated with lanterns began to move from deep palaces and religious places to folk people, and the scene of "bright lights" was quite spectacular. In this regard, Liang,, Xiao Gang, etc. They all described the social fashion of adding festive atmosphere with lanterns in the Southern Dynasties with vivid poems.

During the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, Nanjing was the capital of China at that time. There are many dignitaries, nobles and celebrities living along the Qinhuai River. Every Lantern Festival, they follow the example of the imperial court and decorate with lanterns.

Poets in the Eastern Jin Dynasty learned to carve teeth with a poem "Poem Lantern" to describe the situation of decorating lanterns at that time. During the reign of Xiaowu in the Southern Dynasty, papermaking technology developed rapidly and the cost was low, which replaced the extensive application of silk fabrics and made the lantern color art develop rapidly.

The Beijing Lantern Festival in Ming Dynasty has evolved into a pure market behavior. Every year from the 10th to 16th day of the first month, businessmen and craftsmen from all over the world gather in Beijing to sell their lanterns in the North Street outside Dong 'anmen. In this short time, it is not only the competition of lantern making technology, but also the competition of commercial strength.

Every year when the Lantern Market in Beijing opens, the rent of shops and houses near the Lantern Market will double, which is several times more expensive than usual. If you are not a businessman with a particularly big business, it is easy to be afraid to ask.

In addition, the styles and techniques of lamps are novel and diverse, including lamps inlaid with rare jewels and lamps sold back from neighboring countries or overseas, attracting an endless stream of visitors. A high-priced lamp costs thousands of taels of silver. In the Qing Dynasty, Manchu entered the Central Plains, and the court no longer held lantern festivals, but the folk lantern festivals were still spectacular. The date was shortened to five days and continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty.