Largest hanging paper lantern lights up tradition and skill

Breaking records

It was not the first time that Ha has set a world record. Back in 2017, he made a paper lantern more than 9 meters high, taking home a Guinness record for the world's largest hanging paper lantern. But the record was soon broken by the Japanese.

"The paper crafting technique has been developed and handed down by our Chinese ancestors. We can't lose to others," Ha says.

To win the record back, a lantern must be at least 13 meters high, and that would require a significant amount of experience from the craftsmen.

This time, Ha took the role as the teacher, or "master", in guiding his students and some disadvantaged groups in making the lantern. For two years, master Ha and his students worked together on the components of the lantern.

On the first day after the lantern was completed, Hong Kong was hit by a typhoon.

"My phone kept ringing and people kept asking if the lantern would be destroyed by the wind. I assured them it would be OK," Ha says.

The typhoon passed, and the lantern was good. Ha said that, since he knew from the very beginning that the lantern would be displayed outdoors for three months, he had already taken factors like typhoons into account in the design, and used the best fabrics and other raw materials.

The colorful lantern also attracted John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, who paid a visit and took a selfie.

"It is very exciting to see another world record made through an extraordinary display of skill," he says.