Pingle was a military stronghold during the Three Kingdoms period. To this day, Zhangfei Beach is still preserved in Pingle, and there are still place names related to the Three Kingdoms, such as Kongming Township and Wolong Township, in the surrounding areas. In the ancient town of Pingle, at the foot of Jinhua Mountain and on the bank of Baimo River, Kongming lanterns rise, as bright as the moon. It is said that Kongming lanterns were invented by Zhuge Liang of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period, and have a history of 1,700 years. It was first used for military purposes. At that time, Zhuge Kongming was besieged in Pingyang by Sima Yi and could not send troops out of the city for help. Kongming calculated the wind direction, made floating paper lanterns, tied a message for help, and escaped from danger. This plan saved Mr. Zhuge's life. It can be seen that Kongming lanterns were inseparable from wars during the Three Kingdoms period. Its main purpose was to convey military information. The Shu army grasped the military dynamics based on the number of Kongming lanterns set off and made strategic deployment adjustments at any time. With the continuous development of social science and technology, Kongming lanterns have withdrawn from military use and gradually evolved into a folk custom of praying for peace. In Pingle, people would light Kongming lanterns during Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, weddings and other celebrations to pray for peace and happiness. In the past, Kongming lanterns were set off with fireworks stands, but due to the serious pollution caused by fireworks stands, they were gradually phased out. Today, only Kongming lanterns remain. In Pingle, Chang Paojiang, Tian Yuzhen, Ren Mingan, Xu Bingfu, Dai Jiucheng and Yang Mingji were able to make Kongming lanterns. As some of them have passed away or some are too old to have successors, only Ren Daohong's family can make Kongming lanterns, and he is the only one who can make them using traditional methods. He improved and taught his family the methods of making them. Ren Daohong, 66, is the third generation of his family to make Kongming lanterns. His sons Ren Hongping and Ren Hongjun are successors who learned from Ren Daohong. Ren Daohong began to learn how to make Kongming lanterns in 1958. His skills were taught by his father Ren Mingan, who in turn learned from his wife Tian Yuzhen, whose method was inherited from her ex-husband Chang Paojiang. In ancient times, Kongming lanterns were used as a tool to convey military signals. Soldiers could adjust their strategic deployment according to the number of Kongming lanterns set off. Today, setting off Kongming lanterns has evolved into a folk custom for people to express blessings, express wishes, and pray for peace and happiness. For example, when setting off Kongming lanterns during the Spring Festival to express wishes, the main part of the lantern is written with "May the whole family be harmonious and happy in the new year"; when expressing blessings to newlyweds, it is written with "May you grow old together and be together forever"; when celebrating birthdays, it is written with "May this day come every year"; when congratulating the opening of a business, it is written with "May business be booming and money roll in" and "May your career flourish". In short, it is to express blessings and high hopes for relatives, friends, colleagues, oneself, etc. in many aspects of life, study, and career. The traditional production process of Kongming lanterns is relatively complicated. After the materials are prepared, the lampshade is first pasted, the bracket is made, and the wick is made. Then the wick is tied to the bracket and it can be set off. Among them, the production of the wick is the most skillful. The weight of the raw materials of each part of the wick should be proportional, and the wick should be properly soaked in vegetable oil. The soaking time and concentration are very critical, otherwise it will affect the speed and safety of the Kongming lantern. Historical and cultural value: Kongming lanterns have an indissoluble bond with Zhuge Liang, a figure from the Three Kingdoms. There is a legend that the inventor of Kongming lanterns was Zhuge Liang, and the naming of Kongming lanterns also shows the close relationship between Kongming lanterns and Zhuge Liang. In Pingle, there are many place names related to figures from the Three Kingdoms. According to the "Huojing County Chronicles", Zhuge Liang once stationed troops and smelted iron in Huojing, and the Huojing County Yamen was in Pingle at that time. Therefore, Kongming lanterns have important reference value for studying the history and culture of the Three Kingdoms. Scientific value: Kongming lanterns were the first to use the principle of hot air balloons, more than 1,500 years earlier than the French hot air balloons, and are the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the Chinese nation. Artistic value: The production process of Kongming lanterns is an important part of traditional Chinese handicrafts; it is a part of festive culture, so Kongming lanterns have important reference value for our study of local and western Sichuan folk customs. Information source: Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center (no pictures yet, welcome to provide.) Information source: Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center (no pictures yet, welcome to provide.)