Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c12.s1.t2.8

v2.c12.s1.t2.8

Festival. Its origin was very early and no later than the 1ˢᵗ century CE. However, the Lantern Festival was influenced by India. India celebrated a Lantern Festival, and it was a large national festival. It had influences on Buddhism and affected Chinese Lantern Festival through Buddhism. The Lantern Festival Fair in Tang Dynasty was very lively, both emperor and the common people participated in it actively. It had profound Buddhist colours. Shangyuan Festival had the convention of releasing living creatures in temples in the 10ᵗʰ century, which reflected the Buddhist concept of not killing.