火树银花 — “Fire trees and silver flowers”

Emperor Ruizong, a monarch of the Tang Dynasty, was renowned for his love of pleasure and grand celebrations. Although he reigned for only three years, he spared no expense in material and human resources to create extravagant displays for every festival.

Each year during the Lantern Festival, he would erect a towering lamp tree, twenty zhang high, adorned with over fifty thousand lamps, which he named the 'Fire Tree'. The poet Su Wei later captured this magnificent scene in a poem for the Lantern Festival, describing how 'fire trees and silver flowers merge, and star bridges unlock; dark dust follows horses, bright moon comes with people; courtesans are all young, and songs of plum blossoms are sung; royal guards do not prohibit night revelry, and water clocks need not hurry.' This poem vividly depicted the bustling and splendid atmosphere of the time.

The idiom 'huǒ shù yín huā' (fire trees and silver flowers) originally described places with abundant lights, appearing as if adorned with fiery trees and silvery blossoms. Today, it is used to characterize prosperous cities or grand night gatherings where lights shine brilliantly and splendidly.