Lamp collector lights up Hainan memories

Deer-shaped lamps in Wang's collection. [Photo by Yuan Chen/China Daily]

In 2016, he wrote a book entitled The Culture of Lamps and Electricity, in which he tells the stories about his treasures－the Qiongya begonia lamps, the oil lamps and the lamp culture with the Silk Road.

The Qiongya begonia lamps have a special historical and cultural value for Hainan, because from the popular and artistic frog-shaped lamp holders we can see how Hainan people in ancient times studied the frogs. It also shows their technical know-how as they used the oil of dried fruits for lighting.

"Both the flowers and oil of begonia trees give out a light fragrance when lit. This helps fight growing moss on the walls and prevent insects."

The large number of such lamps show how popular it used to be and how fragrant the island was with begonia flowers blossoming in many areas on the island, said Wang.

Wang said energy-saving lamps were made during the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), an invention that coincided with the "green concept" of the moment. "I get great pleasure learning about history and people's lives from a collection."