one legend tells us that it was a time to worship taiyi, the god of heaven in ancient times. the belief was that the god of heaven controlled the destiny of the human world. he had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence（瘟疫）upon human beings. beginning with qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all subsequent emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year. the emperor would ask taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people. emperor wudi of the han dynasty directed special attention to this event. in 104 bc, he proclaimed it one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.
another legend associates the lantern festival with taoism. tianguan is the taoist god responsible for good fortune. his birthday falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month. it is said that tianguan likes all types of entertainment. so followers prepare