Traditional fish lanterns illuminate night sky of ancient Chinese town

For this year's Spring Festival, the streets in the ancient town of Shipu in east China have come alive with the soft glow of intricate fish lanterns, showcasing the timeless beauty of this intangible cultural heritage.

The tradition of making fish lanterns is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Shipu Town in Xiangshan County of Ningbo City in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Rooted in the Chinese saying "may you have surplus year after year," these lanterns symbolize fishermen's hopes for a prosperous and bountiful future.

This craft has been passed down through generations. For the locals, fish lanterns are not just decorations -- they are a tribute to their seafaring heritage and a manifestation of their wishes for prosperity.

Each year, on the 14th day of the first lunar month, Xiangshan County hosts a grand parade where locals proudly carry fish lanterns through the streets, celebrating the arrival of the new year.

Bao Jiqin, now in his 80s, has dedicated his life to perfecting this art. As a young man in his hometown of Shipu, Bao had a passion for drawing and an interest in creating lanterns in the shape of carp as his forebears had done.

After the first Fishing Season Festival was held in Xiangshan in the late 1990s - a celebration marking the start of a new fishing season following a fishing moratorium - Bao expanded his lantern designs to include different marine life, from yellow croakers to cuttlefish.

To faithfully replicate real fish, Bao has studied marine life extensively, using books and materials that focus on the unique shapes and behaviors of different species.

Bao, reflecting on his lifelong dedication to the craft, said his new year's wish was for the precious tradition of making fish lanterns to never fade and to shine for generations to come.

The 2025 Spring Festival falls on Wednesday, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

It marks the first Spring Festival since its inclusion on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.

Traditional fish lanterns illuminate night sky of ancient Chinese town

Iran's Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said on Monday that the first round of high-level talks between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland had significantly advanced efforts to release frozen Iranian assets, while the U.S. side suggested the funds could be channeled toward American farm exports.

Hemmati told the country's semi-official Tasnim News Agency that "significant progress" had been made on the asset releases, with the relevant documents signed during the negotiations.

Referring to the unfreezing of the central bank's overseas assets as one of the most complex items on the agenda, the central bank chief said the funds will be phased into use in the coming days, in accordance with conditions and procedures established by the bank.

Regarding the export of oil and petroleum products, Hemmati said the two parties have agreed that the Office of Foreign Assets Control under the U.S. Treasury Department will be responsible for sanctions waivers for Iranian oil and petrochemical shipments.

After the U.S. and Iran held high-level talks at Switzerland's Burgenstock resort, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Monday that if the U.S. agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets, the funds could be used to purchase American soybeans, corn and wheat.

Iran reports significant progress on asset unfreezing as US eyes agricultural exports