Thousands of sky lanterns released into evening sky

Taiwan celebrates the year of the dragon by releasing thousands of floating sky lanterns that decorated the evening sky, ahead of the annual lantern festival.The festival, which is scheduled on February 6 this year, is celebrated on the first full moon night or fifteen days after the Chinese new year, which also marks the end of new year celebrations.On a 20 feet (6 meter) tall giant lantern, the recently re-elected president Ma Ying-jeou wrote Dragon in the sky offers protection to Taiwan.The dragon is the symbol of emperor and excellence in traditional Taiwanese belief, and the year of the dragon is considered especially auspicious for the Taiwanese people.Participants of the event brought their prayers for the upcoming year to Pingxi Township in New Taipei City, where the event is held annually.I wish I and the people I love, my family and friends, stay in peace and good health. And I wish for a salary increase, and to win the lottery, said 33-year-old Lee Wen-chiao.The magnificent view fascinated first timer Chen Guo-bao.This is my first time here to release a sky lantern, I am very happy. It is a good feeling to see so many lanterns released into the sky, said 32-year-old Chen.According to history of Pingxi Township, the lanterns were first used as a tool to help protect the safety of townspeople, but gradually evolved to become a way to send prayers to heaven.The lanterns, also called Kongming Lanterns, was believed to be an invention by Zhuge Kongming, the military mastermind in the Three Kingdoms era (220-280 A.D.), as a communication tool for the army.Others believe the name Kongming Lanterns comes from the shape which looks like the hat worn by Zhuge Kongming in his portraits.The wide-topped hot air balloons made of cotton paper and bamboo, which allows hot air to fill up, and the bamboo ring at the bottom holds 12 sheets of paper money at the center as the wick.Once the paper money starts burning, the lantern is held on the ground for a minute then released up the sky.