Qianjiang Lantern Festival is a comprehensive traditional folk activity in Qianjiang, Hubei Province, during the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival. The purpose of the festival is to thank the gods, pray for blessings, celebrate the festival and entertain people through activities such as lantern appreciation, folk parades and trade fairs. Qianjiang Lantern Festival has a long history. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, Qianjiang has been under the jurisdiction of Jiangling, Jingzhou and other prefectures and counties. The "Youyang Miscellaneous Records" of the Tang Dynasty clearly recorded: "In the old custom of Jiangling, on the evening of the first month of spring, colorful lanterns are arranged high, and men and women are noisy along the river. "During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Qianjiang belonged to Jingzhou Prefecture. In the "Jingzhou Prefecture Chronicles", there is a description that "the lanterns are hung from the 11th day of the Lantern Festival, and the nights of the 13th, 14th and 15th are particularly prosperous. The shadow lanterns are cut and painted, which is called the Lantern Market." After 1949, Qianjiang Lantern Festival developed rapidly, and various towns and communities organized various lantern parades every year. In 1959, the "Qianjiang County Chronicle" stated: "(Qianjiang) made a big fuss about lanterns and entertainment from the ninth to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month." In 1978, the people of Qianjiang spontaneously organized a lantern research association. From 1978 to 2019, 21 large-scale lantern festivals were held successively. Since 1978, Qianjiang has held a lantern exhibition every year. There are folk art performances during the day, and lantern competitions and fireworks at night. Tens of thousands of people are shoulder to shoulder, and the flow of people is spectacular. The Qianjiang Lantern Festival is a group inheritance project. Historically, there have been a large number of folk paper-making artists in various towns, villages, and streets, and they are also the main organizers of sacrificial activities. Qianjiang has a saying since ancient times that "the year is small and the month is half big". In the hearts of Qianjiang people, the Qianjiang Lantern Festival is the most important festival every year. After visiting the lantern festival, it means that the new year officially begins. The Qianjiang Lantern Festival carries simple folk beliefs. There are strict rituals and regulations from praying at the temple on the "Lantern Day" to returning to the ancestral temple on the 16th day of the first lunar month to fulfill vows and seal lanterns. On the "Lantern Day", you need to clean your hands and body before worshipping at the temple, burn incense and raise the table; the folk performance team that tours the village to ward off disasters must be arranged in the order of gods, humans, and beasts, and the people at the front hold incense to lead the way. On the "Lantern Day", paper and straw dragon lanterns are burned at designated venues, and a lantern sealing ceremony must be held before burning. These folk belief activities reflect the simple and honest hearts of the people in Qianjiang, and they entrust their good wishes for good luck. The water town and Jingchu regional characteristics are distinct. Qianjiang lanterns have strong water town and Jingchu cultural regional characteristics, and the themes are mostly lotus, lotus root, carp, phoenix, lobster, Zhanghuatai, Three Kingdoms characters, Jianghan Oil City, etc. The straw dragon, colorful dragon, seahorse lantern, black donkey lantern, clam shell spirit, lotus picking boat and other folk performances in the lantern festival are all unique folk performances in the water town. The lantern market sells a large number of portable lotus lanterns, carp lanterns and water town specialty foods such as crystal cakes, Zuo cakes, and fire cakes. Qianjiang is the land of ancient Chu and an important county in Jingzhou. Folk activities have been passed down for more than 2,000 years. As the most important folk activity in the area, Qianjiang Lantern Festival has always been an important carrier for local people to inherit traditional customs and record regional culture, and has high historical value. Qianjiang Lantern Festival is an important part of Qianjiang culture. Its folk beliefs have a long history and continue to pursue peace, happiness and friendliness, reflecting the worship and admiration of the people, and have high research value. Various traditional folk performances are diverse and colorful, with extremely high cultural value. Qianjiang lantern production includes many traditional handicrafts such as bamboo weaving, wood carving, paper cutting, embroidery, painting, pyrography, and shaping. From traditional paper lanterns and palace lanterns, they have gradually developed into various forms of lanterns, reflecting the process of the development of craftsmanship over the times and have extremely high artistic value. In addition, the Qianjiang Lantern Festival also has social value, with high public participation and fun. It is not only a base for propaganda and education, but also a link for Qianjiang people to communicate their feelings and build a modern harmonious society, enhancing the people's sense of happiness and gain. By making and selling various lanterns and folk festival gifts, it not only drives employment for urban and rural residents, but also plays a positive role in promoting the rural revitalization and cultural tourism integration in Qianjiang.