My brother had bought some “Kongming-tan” or Chinese sky lanterns from Thailand. So when we balik kampung to celebrate Chinese New Year in February 2008, we were naturally excited about the sky lanterns as we had not seen it before.
I thought flying these lanterns were a perfect way to welcome the Chinese New Year; to bid goodbye to the past year and send good wishes and hope for the new year.
It is considered good luck to release a sky lantern as they are symbolic of problems and worries floating away. These lanterns and can be seen for miles away and really leave a lasting impression on everyone.
Sky Lanterns are a similar concept to hot air balloons. They are made from non-flammable bio-degradable oiled rice paper with a bamboo frame and have a specially designed wick for burning.
Once lit, it heats the air, creating smoke, and causes the lantern to rise into the air. It can fly to more than 1,000 meters in altitude and airborn for approximately 15 minutes, or until the wick burns out. The lantern then floats back to the ground.
Kongming-tan lantern is banned in Malaysia for fear that it can cause plane crash. Safety guides require that sky lanterns must be released a minimum of 5 miles away from airports.
Historical Note:Chinese sky lanterns were originally used hundreds of years ago by the Chinese army and local villagers as a signal of distress or communication. They were invented 1,800 years ago by Zhuge Liang (181- 234AD China) a Chancellor who was also known as Kongming from the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.
One person holds the top of the lantern while the other lights the wick at the bottom.
I thought flying these lanterns were a perfect way to welcome the Chinese New Year; to bid goodbye to the past year and send good wishes and hope for the new year.
It is considered good luck to release a sky lantern as they are symbolic of problems and worries floating away. These lanterns and can be seen for miles away and really leave a lasting impression on everyone.
Sky Lanterns are a similar concept to hot air balloons. They are made from non-flammable bio-degradable oiled rice paper with a bamboo frame and have a specially designed wick for burning.
Once lit, it heats the air, creating smoke, and causes the lantern to rise into the air. It can fly to more than 1,000 meters in altitude and airborn for approximately 15 minutes, or until the wick burns out. The lantern then floats back to the ground.
Kongming-tan lantern is banned in Malaysia for fear that it can cause plane crash. Safety guides require that sky lanterns must be released a minimum of 5 miles away from airports.
Historical Note:Chinese sky lanterns were originally used hundreds of years ago by the Chinese army and local villagers as a signal of distress or communication. They were invented 1,800 years ago by Zhuge Liang (181- 234AD China) a Chancellor who was also known as Kongming from the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.
One person holds the top of the lantern while the other lights the wick at the bottom. 
Hold the lantern for approx 30 seconds whilst the wick burns.
Once the lantern fills with hot air it will start to pull, you can then allow it to gently rise into the sky.
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