China celebrates Lantern Festival

cctv.com 02-24-2005 09:45

Wednesday's full moon, at least in those parts of China where it was visible, welcomed the traditional Lantern Festival. In Beijing, snowflakes softly fell on red lanterns, traditionally signaling a lucky year ahead. And across the country, family gatherings and celebrations of folk customs marked the holiday.

In the eastern city of Nanjing, the Confucius Temple was ablaze with over 400,000 lanterns. The ancient beauty delighted both locals and tourists.

A Nanjing citizen said, "I bring my child here every year. Buying a lantern gives us a festive feeling."

In the coastal city Quanzhou, it was splendid lanterns made of silk.

To the north in Handan, over 200 lanterns with Chinese idioms gave visitors a feeling of history.

On Xi'an's ancient city walls, over 1000 lanterns with riddles challenged the mind as they dazzled the eye.

In Shenyang in the northeast, the inspiration was the country's high-speed train, China Star.

And no Lantern Festival is complete with Tang Yuan. The glutinous rice dumpling with sweet fillings symbolizes family reunion.

Editor:Chen Zhuo  Source:CCTV.com