There were a great varieties of lamps in ancient China, oil-burning lamps were a common means of night-time illumination in this and later periods. The Changxin Palace Lamp (cháng xìn gōng dēng 长信宫灯) of the Han Dynasty ( hàncháo 汉朝) (208BC—220AD) is a veritable treasure.
The Changxin Palace Lamp is made of bronze and is gold coated (líu jīn 鎏金). Textual research shows this lantern was used by the mother of Emperor Jingdi (jǐngdì 景帝) (156-140BC).The lantern has an ingenious design and as a whole, it is the shape of a maid of honor on her knees holding a lantern. The lamp she holds is pivoted so that light could be directed as her mistress might wish. Smoke from the candle within passes up through the girl's sleeve and on into the hollow body, so no soot would dirty the room. The lamp holder can store water, dissolving soot from the smoke. Now it is in the collection of the Museum of Hebei Province (héběi 河北), China.