Decorative Lanterns Though decorative lanterns have traditionally been made from bamboo, electric counterparts have become more popular in recent years. Countless different designs are used for the lanterns, but most can be generally divided into iconic lanterns and depictive lanterns. Iconic lanterns are modeled after animals, dragons, flowers, people, machines, and any number of other objects; depictive animate lanterns on the other hand depict scenes from popular stories such as the Legend of the White Snake, The Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden, and The Romance of Three Kingdoms. These stories are all didactic in nature, teaching filial piety and other traditional values in a colorful and entertaining manner. Famous temples around Taiwan - such as the Lung Shan Temple in Taipei, Cheng Huang Temple in Hsinchu, and Chao Tian Temple in Peikang - have long displayed an array of decorative lanterns during Chinese New Year. Perennial favorites are the lanterns depicting animals of the zodiac and elaborate electric lanterns.