Bilingual Poster丨Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xiao Festival in Chinese Pinyin, is a traditional Chinese festival with great significance, which is on the 15th of the first lunar month, marking the end of New Year celebrations.

It was also a romantic festival in ancient China, providing an opportunity for unmarried men and women to meet.

A poem by Xin Qiji, a poet of the Song Dynasty (AD 420-479) depicts a love story at the lantern festival:

But in the crowd once and again, I look for her in vain.

When all at once I turn my head, I find her there where lantern light is dimly shed.

众里寻他千百度，蓦然回首，那人却在，灯火阑珊处。

Besides watching lanterns and guessing the answers to lantern riddles, there are many traditions for the festival.

1. Viewing lanterns

It is tradition that people hang lanterns everywhere, in their house or in the streets. The lanterns depict various characters, like flying birds, leaping fishes, and shining fireworks, showing an atmosphere of joy. People will come out and appreciate the beautiful scene.

2. Guessing lantern riddles

Riddles written on the lanterns can inspire wisdom and cater to the festival atmosphere, so many people like it very much. Guessing the answers to lantern riddles gradually became an indispensable part of the Lantern Festival.

3. Dragon lantern dance

Chinese people regard the dragon as a symbol of auspiciousness. At the festival, people perform dragon lantern dances and look forward to a good omen of this year's good weather and peace.

4. Lion dance

It is similar to the dragon lantern dance, delivering good wishes and good luck.

5. Eating yuanxiao

Eating yuanxiao Lantern Festival is another tradition. Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice, either solid or stuffed. The stuffing includes bean paste, sugar, hawthorn, various kinds of fruit and so on. It can be boiled, fried or steamed and fried to eat.