Lanterns, also known as "flower lanterns" and "colorful lanterns" by the people, are mostly hung during traditional festivals, weddings and birthdays to create a festive atmosphere. Xishi lanterns have been included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Xishi lanterns began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Its production technology has been passed down from generation to generation in Xishi, Haining, and has a history of more than 1,200 years. As early as the Tang Dynasty, it was already well-known. From the court to the people, lantern decoration was fashionable. In the Song Dynasty, Xishi lanterns were listed as tribute. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty visited Haining twice and Emperor Qianlong visited Haining four times. Xishi lanterns were all brilliant at the welcoming ceremony. Xishi lanterns are generally divided into five categories: table lamps, lanterns, wall lamps, hanging lamps and gift lamps. They use bamboo strips as the skeleton shape, paper pasting drawings, and hand-needle patterns. The production technology is very exquisite. After lighting the lanterns, the light shines through the needle-pierced patterns, outlining a vivid artistic image. Xishi lanterns integrate craftsmanship, calligraphy and painting, and integrate poetry, calligraphy, painting, seal carving, embroidery and other art categories. There are eight major techniques in its craftsmanship, namely needle, twist, knot, tie, carve, paint, paste and mount. Needlework is the main feature of Xishi lanterns. Each needle-stitched lantern piece is made by micro-carving with different needlework methods such as row needles, crochet needles, flower needles, random needles, broken flower needles and patch needles. Twisting includes bending the skeleton and the bending shape on the decoration. The technique of twisting requires very precise, and each skeleton must be bent exactly. Knotting is a delicate craft in the production of lanterns, including techniques such as knotting net lace and hanging whiskers. Tie is the splicing process in the production of lanterns, which requires very fineness to the extent that no splicing marks can be seen. Carving is based on the draft, through the design of discarding and retaining, the part to be discarded is carved out, and a layer of rice paper is re-mounted on the carved part to achieve a light-transmitting artistic effect. Painting is one of the characteristic crafts of Xishi lanterns. Generally, the painting method of traditional Chinese painting is used, and flowers, birds, figures, landscapes, etc. are painted. Pasting is the later process and the final assembly process. During the pasting process, the needle-punched picture must not be wrinkled, let alone skewed. Mounting is the material production process in Xishi lanterns. Xishi lanterns are mounted with multiple layers of paper such as cotton paper, raw rice paper, cooked rice paper, colored continuous history paper and sandwiched rice paper, which are firm and can be dyed. Xishi lanterns are obviously different from lanterns in other parts of my country with their unique hand-punched needle-punching process. Each lantern piece is made by needle-punching, and the density of needle-punching reaches 18 to 32 holes per square centimeter. A finished product requires millions of needle holes to be manually punctured. The production process is self-contained, and each process has strict local characteristics, often integrating poetry, drama, folk tales, calligraphy and painting, and ancient house patterns. The unique craftsmanship of Xishi lanterns embodies the wisdom and sweat of lantern makers of all generations. The craftsmanship and techniques involved have the characteristics of Jiangnan culture and can be called a wonder of Chinese lantern culture. The main inheritors of Xishi lanterns are Chen Weiyan, Hu Jinlong, Shen Zusheng, Song Zhenhua, etc. Chen Weiyan has been exposed to the art of lanterns since 1940, and it has been more than 70 years. After years of dedicated research, on the basis of inheriting the traditional lantern craftsmanship, he created a new product of Xishi lantern craftsmanship, the teapot lantern, creatively integrating the lantern culture with the tea culture, and creating a new variety of Xishi lanterns with a history of thousands of years. Chen Weiyan was named as the first batch of representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage projects. The Lantern Festival is the best platform for the dynamic display and protection of Xishi lanterns. The Lantern Festival Xishi Lantern Festival enjoys the reputation of "the first lantern festival in Jiangnan". The Haining Municipal Government has been committed to building Haining into the "first lantern city in Jiangnan". It not only includes the lantern festival activities as one of the important cultural activities hosted by the government every year, but also establishes a special Lantern Festival Xishi Lantern Festival Organizing Committee. Since 2010, a special fund for the Xishi Lantern Festival Traditional Festival Lantern Festival Protection Demonstration Base has been set up every year for the protection and inheritance of the Xishi Lantern Festival. At present, the Lantern Festival Xishi Lantern Festival has formed a regular lantern exhibition activity twice a year (Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival), and the lantern welcoming activity is held once every five years. It has become a customary mass cultural activity in Haining. The production technology of Xishi lanterns has also been well protected and inherited. Haining Vocational High School has been listed as the Jiaxing Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance Teaching Base, and Xishi Lantern Co., Ltd. has been listed as the Jiaxing Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance Base and Industrial Base.