I had the fortune to see the bejeweled lanterns depicted in the Rongguo Mansion from the novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber'

In Chapter 53 of 'Dream of the Red Chamber', the Rongguo Mansion holds a night banquet during the Lantern Festival, where the dazzling array of decorations captivates all who see them, especially the lanterns, which are numerous and varied. Among them, a pair of combined hall lanterns known as the 'Triple Union and Quintuple Cluster Glass Hibiscus Tassel Lanterns' are particularly stunning. In the Lu Residence of Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, hangs a set of 'Treasure Cover Chain-linked Triple Union and Septuple Cluster Colored Tassel Ram's Horn Lanterns' that surpass even the grand hall lanterns described in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. They are the largest hall lanterns in the world and have a history of over 100 years. The residence has two hall lanterns in total, one authentic and one replica. The authentic one is only hung during major festivals in leap years and is returned to a special lamp room for preservation after the event. The authentic lantern is not lit all day when displayed; it is turned off after being lit for a while to protect the lifespan of the cultural relic. Regarding the lighting time: The specific lighting times are managed by the security uncle there (the uncle is very easy to talk to, and if you want to light the lantern, you can directly approach him). I went in the morning, and the lanterns were lit twice around 10 am and 12 pm, with each session lasting about an hour. The replica is on display all year round (P7), and while it is just as impressive as the authentic one, it is not lit in principle (see the previous suggestion). 'North has the Forbidden City, south has the Lu Residence' Additionally, the Lu Residence is a national key cultural relics protection unit. Its Ming and Qing residential architecture is quite grand and well-preserved. On the day I visited, it had just rained, and the sky was somewhat overcast. Due to the sparse number of tourists, the vast mansion had a sense of immediacy reminiscent of the movie 'Raise the Red Lantern', evoking a deep sense of 'How deep is the courtyard?'