Genshin Lantern Rite 2025: What Does Hu Tao’s Story Tell Us?

As Liyue's most important festival, the Lantern Rite sees Xiao Lanterns fill the skies to bear the people's wishes for the new year. Yet this year's celebration hides a crisis-Liyue is suddenly plagued by a mysterious 'Fetor of Death,' causing citizens to age, weaken, or die without cause. Ningguang, leader of the Qixing, proposes the 'Eight Gates Ritual' to suppress the disaster: dispelling the Fetor by igniting eight sealed gates but requiring one person to sacrifice themselves as the 'Hidden Gate.' In this life-or-death dilemma, Hu Tao, Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, becomes entangled with a millennia-old seal...

1. The Calamity of Tao Dou: The Millennial Destiny of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor

In the storyline, those who passed through Qingce Village-the seal site of Tao Dou-were afflicted with a mysterious illness. Though Baizhu ruled out remnants of malevolent deities as the cause, the truth proved far graver: Tao Dou was not only alive but nearing a full breach of its seal. Hu Tao's inexplicable awareness of this threat traces back to a revelation by Keqing and Lan Yan: among the Eight Adepts, the Phantom Butterfly Immortal once voluntarily became the Hidden Gate in the Eight Gates Ritual to subdue Tao Dou. After her death, Wu Wang Laoye inherited her legacy, and the founder of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor emerged as one of her successors.

Therefore, as the current Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao's butterfly motifs are no coincidence! As the inheritor of the Phantom Butterfly Immortal's legacy, she may ultimately follow her predecessor's path-becoming the sacrificial Hidden Gate within the Eight Gates Ritual to reforged the seal of Tao Dou.

2. Hu Tao: Springtime Charms

Before the crowd, Hu Tao lightheartedly assured everyone she 'would never die,' yet privately made preparations: she bid farewell to each friend, entrusted the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to Zhongli, and gifted the Traveler a plum branch-an item meant to remind them of her. This branch, familiar to fans as the Official Hu Tao Brooch design, holds a pivotal role in later events.

Amid this crisis, two key figures played pivotal roles. One is the well-known Zhongli; the other is the new character Lan Yan. Hailing from Chenyu Vale and a descendant of the Lan clan, Lan Yan is skilled in esoteric arts. Invited by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, she represented the Artisan Guild of Chenyu Vale to assist with Lantern Rite preparations while seizing the opportunity to investigate the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's affairs.

As the Fetor of Death's assault intensified, Ningguang activated the Eight Gates Ritual, assigning the most perilous Gate of Death to Hu Tao. Lan Yan crafted rattan dolls linked to the ritual's matrix to divert the Fetor's impact from Hu Tao. However, the Traveler, unable to connect to the Ley Lines, was excluded from the ritual. Keqing, Ganyu, Xiao (Vigilant Yaksha), Qiqi, Beidou, Yelan, the Traveler, and Lan Yan each held a Hu Tao-themed rattan doll.-For players eager to own an Hu Tao Rattan Plush, the official Genshin Impact collectible is now available for purchase!

Hu Tao stepped into the Gate of Death clutching her rattan doll. Though the Eight Gates Ritual succeeded in dispelling the Fetor of Death and restoring the people, her doll shattered abruptly-she had long overdrawn her life force, bearing the brunt of the backlash alone.

3. Hu Tao: Blooms at the Border, A Reunion Transcending Life and Death

Guided by Zhongli, the Traveler was transported to the realm of death. Realizing their ability to connect to the Ley Lines without being obfuscated, they could bear the ritual's costs in Hu Tao's stead. Following the Hu Tao-themed rattan doll's guidance, they arrived at the tree where Hu Tao vanished. From the Traveler's bag, Hu Tao's gift-the plum branch-flew out.

Meanwhile, Hu Tao walked across a river in the realm, spider lilies blooming vividly with each step, while echoes of her friends' voices surrounded her. Upon crossing the bridge, she encountered her father and grandfather, whom she barely remembered due to their early deaths. Believing her time had come, Hu Tao prepared to bid farewell-yet her kin declared it **'not her hour' and vanished. As the plum branch landed in her hand, the Traveler suddenly appeared, seized Hu Tao's hand, and pulled her to safety.

With the crisis resolved, the great tree was restored. The Traveler collapsed for two days, while Hu Tao remained by their side until they awoke. Once the Traveler recovered, Hu Tao reverted to her playful and mischievous self, marking the conclusion of her story arc.

Hu Tao's role in the Lantern Rite storyline has garnered even more fans, showcasing not only her playful and mischievous side but also her courage and resilience in the face of life-and-death trials. The scene where Hu Tao encounters her deceased father and grandfather on the brink of death highlights both her profound solitude and her longing for her family. Her growth and transformation throughout the narrative offer players a renewed perspective on her character.