Good question.  A chinese lantern isn’t a modern invention as so many people think.  The Chinese people began launching lanterns as a way of asking the spirit world for good fortune or luck over a thousand years ago.  Seen as a way of pleasing the spirit world, a lantern was launched to mark an occassion, a way of remembering the person in question.

Firstly you need to open up the lantern, often package like a concertina, there is a small lighter block at one end, simply hold the chinese lantern at arms length and using a lighter set light to the fire lighter, when the lantern has filled with warm air (this is shown as the fat looking lantern) release and enjoy.