The Lantern Festival
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Updated: 2004-01-16 15:46

The Lantern Festival, also called "Shangyuan Festival," is the climax of the Spring Festival and takes place on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Origins:The Lantern Festival has its origin in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). King Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 24) officially designated the 15th day of the first lunar month as the Lantern Festival. During the reign of King Wu of the Han Dynasty, normal Chinese people began to celebrate the festival by holding lantern shows. During the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 24 - 220), King Ming, in an effort to promote Buddhism, ordered lanterns to be lit in palaces and monasteries during the night of the Lantern Festival to worship the Buddha. Aristocrats and commoners alike were also asked to hang lanterns on their gates. The practice gradually became widespread, and the Lantern Festival is still celebrated today as a time of brightness and pageantry.

Marvelling at the lanterns:On the night of the Lantern Festival, people put up various lanterns along the main streets and the small lanes. People leave their houses at this time to appreciate the lanterns and figure out the lantern puzzles.

Eating "yuan xiao":"Yuan xiao," a kind of dumpling made of glutinous rice flour with sweet centres, were invented in the Song Dynasty (AD 420 - 479). The dumplings are boiled in water until they float and they are made only to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which is also called "Yuan Xiao Festival." The dumplings are round and symbolise the whole family being together.

In rural areas, the Lantern Festival is also a time when activities with distinct ethnic features are held, differing from place to place. Some such activities areriddles,yangge dance competitions, andtheatrical performances.