Lampions as messengers

During a military operation he was surrounded by enemies and had no way to communicate his exact location to his allies. So he made lanterns out of bamboo sticks and paper and wrote his exact location on the lanterns, hoping that they would reach their destination. The lanterns did, and he was rescued. Since then, he has been considered a hero in China with the nickname Kongming (the bright lantern).

In the ancient tradition in China, apart from the decorative function, lanterns on the house also serve to convey messages. Red lanterns describe happy events such as weddings, blue describes decreasing energy or illness and white means death. In Europe, lanterns are often used for festivities outside the home. The weatherproof version, on the other hand, can remain in the garden all year round and serve as garden or decorative lighting.