In the coastal villages of Zhuanghe, the old folk still remember the first-month rite. Before the sky darkens fully, boat masters lead their families to the beach and set paper sea lanterns into the water one by one — coloured-paper bodies, a bean-oil wick burning inside, flames dancing in the sea wind as the tide carries them toward the deep Yellow Sea. Each lamp is an offering to the Goddess of the Sea and a fisher’s wish for a year of safety. The lamps must be round and sound, the wicks long-burning; some carry written blessings. Boats today are large-horsepower and full of navigation gear, but the rite endures — a chain of lights linking the lanterns to lighthouses and harbour lamps, a fisher folk’s awe for the sea and hope for life.