Thousands of river lanterns floated down Songhua River, Jilin

Jilin city, in Jilin province holds river lantern and fire show events on Saturday to celebrate the Lantern Festival. [Photo by Han Tao/For chinadaily.com.cn]

As night fell on Saturday, around 10,000 river lanterns floated down the Songhua River in Jilin city, China's northeastern Jilin province, creating a scene resembling an embroidered ribbon on the surface.

To celebrate the Lantern Festival, the city held an event, which also included a firework show, attracting tens of thousands of residents and tourists.

Some participants stood on the river bank to release river lanterns, praying for blessings in the Year of the Dragon.

The custom of releasing lanterns in the Songhua River basin dates back hundreds of years, and in 2015, Jilin city's river lantern was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

This year, all the river lanterns were made of environmentally friendly materials and will be collected by devices that have been installed in the river.