Nanjing Lantern Wholesale Market, Qinhuai District, Nanjing City. Lanterns, also collectively known as lanterns, are an ancient traditional handicraft of the Han nationality. After thousands of years of development, lanterns have developed different regional styles, each with a unique form of artistic expression. Every year around the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, people hang up red lanterns symbolizing reunion to create a festive atmosphere.