Xuling Lantern Festival is a special folk cultural activity in Susong County, Anhui Province, with Xuling Town as its center. It is mainly held during the Spring Festival and has been popular in Susong for more than 400 years. Xuling Lantern Festival originated in Xuling Town, Susong County. According to the "Xuling District Brief Records" compiled and printed in 1986, as early as the Qing Dynasty, the people of Xuling paid attention to lighting lanterns in the first month of the lunar year. The purpose of lighting lanterns is to pray to the gods of heaven and earth not to bring disasters to the people, to pray for the world to be harmonious, and for the well-being of the people. Later, it gradually developed into a large-scale cultural and entertainment activity loved by the people. At the same time, it also implies praying for peace and prosperity in the country and praising new trends. Xuling Lantern Festival brings together a variety of folk arts such as folk bamboo weaving, paper cutting, painting, acrobatics, facial makeup, dance, drama, folk music performance, myths and legends. It is a large-scale folk cultural activity with a strong comprehensiveness. Its lantern items mainly include five categories: various lanterns, song and dance performances, drama clips, folk acrobatics, and music and drums. Xuling Lantern Festival traditionally adopts the way of colorful costumes to walk around, walk a distance, and perform a show. During the performance, each lantern group danced and sang synchronously, and the scene was very spectacular. In general, large-scale lantern festivals have more than ten lantern formations, nearly a thousand performers, and 100,000 people participating. In this huge performance lineup, the most distinctive are the three lantern groups of stage, swing and Dongxiang Broken Silk String. The stage lantern is shaped like a square formation, with rolling wheels underneath and a child sitting 4 meters above; the swing lantern is shaped like a windmill. These two types of lanterns are story lanterns, and different stories and characters with different meanings can be selected according to needs; when the "Dongxiang Broken Silk String" group lantern is used, the knocking and pulling of the strings can be done with all one's strength. The more artists participate, the more the warm atmosphere of the lantern festival can be highlighted. Xuling Lantern Festival is not only a major folk activity of the people of Susong, but also a platform for the display of Susong's traditional culture. It has extremely rich connotations and strong historical, folklore, literary and sociological values. As a rich intangible cultural heritage, Xuling Lantern Festival deserves our in-depth exploration, protection and inheritance. Information source: Anhui Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center Information source: Anhui Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center