On the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, family members across the country gathered to celebrate the Lantern Festival in the Year of the Loong (Dragon). As the Lantern Festival economy was booming, intellectual property (IP) added an extra dose of splendor to the annual celebration.
Brands convey strong flavor of home
Around the Lantern Festival, a variety of glutinous rice balls sold very well on the market with time-honored brands having even better performance.
Lai Tangyuan, a China time-honored brand, is a golden brand of Chengdu-cuisine Tangyuan. In 2011, the traditional production technique of Lai Tangyuan was selected into Sichuan's intangible cultural heritage (ICH) list. Over the years, while inheriting and promoting the traditional production technique of Tangyuan, Lai Tangyuan has advanced product and marketing innovation. Its persimmon Tangyuan, Panda Tangyuan and other new products have been extensively recommended on social platforms, and have been exported to countries and regions including the U.S. and Canada.
During the Lantern Festival, Xiapu Yuanxiao Tea, a geographical indication (GI) product in Fujian, came on the market, adding a tinge of spring breath to the festival of reunion. Xiapu Yuanxiao Tea makes its name as it is mostly picked around the Lantern Festival. In December 2012, Xiapu Yuanxiao Tea was approved for registration of a GI trademark. "Xiapu County has worked ceaselessly in recent years to develop the tea industry, promote the integrated development of tea and tourism, enrich the connotation of tea culture and bring prosperity to the locals," said Sheng Tingzhong, Director General of the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Xiapu County.
Driven by the GI brand, Xiapu Yuanxiao Tea has been growing in popularity and has become a local leading industry. As of late 2023, Xiapu County registered nearly 140,000 mu of tea plantations, a gross tea yield of more than 10,000 tons and an annual output value of more than 800 million yuan.
Innovation empowers light feast
On the night of the Lantern Festival, 1,000 drones created mesmerizing patterns and shapes at the 2024 Knowledge City Lantern Festival Fireworks Show in Guangzhou, attracting flocks of spectators.
"We can control thousands of drones with one computer, and change drone patterns in a short time, to be exact, more than ten changes in a single mission," said Xue Peng, Vice President of the drone show provider, Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. The company's drones feature multi-frequency & mode RTK GPS technology that enables centimeter-level precision positioning. The company has owned 389 domestic and foreign patents, including 39 related to drone light shows.
"China fads" gain popularity
During this year's Lantern Festival, residents in Tongzhou District, Beijing had a new place nearby to enjoy lanterns - Songzhuang Art Market of China. Its inaugural Chinese New Year Lantern Show kicked off on February 2. The "Lantern King" was a 40-meter-long "dragon" created by the traditional production technique of Zigong colored lanterns (Sichuan).
The inheritance of the production technique of Zigong colored lanterns and the development of its lantern industry have been attributable to the protection of lantern copyright. "Zigong's colored lantern industry should make action to protect the copyright of Zigong colored lanterns." On February 4, the Zigong Copyright Administration issued an initiative to all colored lantern producers in Zigong, calling on them to protect the copyright of Zigong colored lanterns and maintain the brand image of "Zigong Lantern Show". The initiative required that local colored lantern producers should learn about copyright protection, register copyright for their products at the earliest possible time, strictly abide by the relevant provisions of the Copyright Law, respect originals, and should not use creative resources of unknown origins.
Dragon Dancing (Changxing Baiye Dragon), one of the national ICH projects, swept across the country during the Lantern Festival.
To better inherit and develop the ICH craft of Changxing Baiye Dragon, relevant departments of Changxing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, have made concerted efforts to build up the "Baiye Dragon" brand. Even back in 2000, the Changxing Lincheng Cultural Center submitted an application for registering the trademark of "Baiye Dragon and its figure" and transferred it to the Zhejiang Baiyelong Culture Development Co., Ltd. In addition, the local government has organized exhibitions of ICH in scenic spots and on campus to promote Changxing Baiye Dragon. After years of development, Changxing Baiye Dragon has successfully gone from rural grain-sunning grounds to big stages at home and abroad.
When lights were lit, IP took the festival blessings of reunion and happiness to numerous households.