Sky Lanterns are also known as "Kung Ming lanterns," since some say they were invented by Chu Ke-liang (also known as Kung Ming) during the Epoch of Three Kingdoms period as way of communication during war time. There is also another story about the name. It was said tht the name came from the resemblance of the lanterns to the hat worn this famous prime minister.

The construction of sky lanterns consists of a main body and frame. The body is made either from thin or oiled paper and the frame from bamboo strips. The sizes of the mouth and base vary with each lantern. In the northern Taiwan, at the night of Lantern Festival, many people will release the sky lanterns for good luck. They fire the oiled paper inside the lanterns, then becasue of the heat and air, the lanterns fly. It is said that the higher the lantern flies, the better to the person. So everybody expects his lantern will fly high and far.

The other climax of this celebration is to release the biggest lantern. It needs 20 people to hold the corner and use a lot of oiled paper to let it fly high. On the sky lantern, people will write something good and hopes for next year. On the biggest lantern, there is always good words for the country, to wish the country's economy and politics.