The Fishing Lantern Festival is a traditional folk festival unique to the fishermen along the coast of Yantai Economic and Technological Development Zone. It is mainly spread in more than a dozen fishing villages such as Shanhou Chujia, Luyang, and Bajiao, which are located on the 45-kilometer coastline. As a sacrificial activity, on the 13th and 14th day of the first lunar month every year, fishermen in Yantai Economic and Technological Development Zone worship the Dragon King, the Goddess of the Sea, sacrifice boats, and send fishing lanterns, praying for the gods of the sea to bless the safety of people and ships in the new year, and for the fishing boats to be full and make a fortune. Lanterns have three meanings. One is to take the meaning of abundant fish and shrimp; the second is to illuminate the way and protect the safe return of people and ships; the third is to make the gods recognize people and ships and bless people and ships. When did the "Fishing Lantern Festival" originate and how did it come about? According to the Penglai History "Dengzhou Prefecture Records" (Volume 2), Luyang Village (formerly known as Luyang Village), which was built earlier, was built in the 29th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1396 AD), 611 years ago. According to Gu Guangxin, 81, from Shanhou Gujia Village, Shanhou Gujia Village has a history of 551 years. His grandfather told me that every village has its own Fishing Lantern Festival, which is a festival for fishermen that was derived from the Lantern Festival. It can be inferred that the "Fishing Lantern Festival" originated in the Ming Dynasty, and has a history of more than 500 years. Why do some villages in the development zone celebrate the "Fishing Lantern Festival" on the 13th day of the first lunar month, while some villages celebrate it on the 14th day of the first lunar month? According to Ding Yijiang, a 69-year-old fisherman from Luyang Village, the East Bay of Shanhou Chujia Village is a natural fishing port, where fishing boats from surrounding fishing villages mostly moor for shelter. In order to pray for the safety of people and boats and a full hold of fish and shrimp, the surrounding fishermen jointly raised funds to build the earliest Dragon King Temple in this area. With the development of marine fishing and maritime shipping industries, more and more people are engaged in marine fishing and maritime shipping. During the Fishing Lantern Festival, in order to resolve disputes among ship owners over the order of worship, in the late 1930s around 1938, the Fishing Lantern Festival in Shanhou Gujia Village, Shanhou Chujia Village and other villages was changed to the 13th day of the first lunar month, while the Fishing Lantern Festival in other villages continued to follow the old 14th day of the first lunar month. The sea gods worshipped by coastal fishermen in the development zone are "Sea Dragon King" and "Queen of Heaven". The order and basic content of the "Fishing Lantern Festival". First, the boat owner sends the homemade fishing lantern and boat model to the Poseidon Temple for worship, praying that the Poseidon will use the fishing lantern to guide the fishing boat back safely, and that the Poseidon will recognize the boat and protect the boat and people safely; and offerings to the Dragon King, praying for a full cabin of fish and shrimp, and peace and prosperity. Secondly, the boat owner places offerings on the bow, hangs firecrackers on the mast, places and lights fishing lanterns on the bow, cabin, and stern. When everything is ready, the captain lights incense and burns paper, and leads everyone to kowtow and worship the boat. Then, the boat owner recites auspicious words, pours wine into the sea, and puts in dumplings and vegetables to start the boat worship, praying that the "fisherman" (also known as the sea yaksha and the sea night god) will catch more fish for him, so that the net is full and the cabin is full of fish. Finally, go to the beach to release the fishing lantern. When the wind is not favorable, the fishing lanterns are placed in a sheltered place by the sea; when the wind is favorable, the fishing lanterns are placed on a boat model made of sorghum stalks (rich people use wood) and float into the sea with the wind. By releasing lanterns, the fishing lanterns and boats are presented to the goddess of the sea, praying that the goddess of the sea will use the lanterns to guide the fishing boats to return safely and use the boats to rescue people who are in distress. During the "Fishing Lantern Festival", the fishermen's entertainment activities are mainly divided into two forms. One is to set up a stage in front of the temple to perform operas, mostly old repertoires such as the Peking Opera Empty City Strategy. The other is that the port docks are mainly self-entertainment activities such as gongs and drums, yangko, and dragon dance. The founders of the Fishing Lantern Festival differentiated the Fishing Lantern Festival from the traditional Lantern Festival and turned it into a festival exclusively for fishermen. It can be said that the Fishing Lantern Festival has changed the dependent status of fishing culture on farming culture. It is a typical representative of fishing culture. It is not only a form of sacrificial blessing activity for fishermen, but also an important part of fishermen's folk culture. Its distinctive fishing characteristics and rich cultural connotations cannot be covered by other traditional folk cultures. Since the reform and opening up, fishermen have vigorously promoted fishing culture, and the Fishing Lantern Festival has continued to prosper and develop. It has become an effective carrier for fishermen to promote fishing culture, and has continuously given new connotations and enriched the form of activities. Protecting the Fishing Lantern Festival can not only promote traditional culture, but also enrich the cultural activities of the masses, strengthen cultural exchanges, and develop local tourism resources and increase the economic income of local residents.