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Qianmen Shang Yuan Lantern Party(6), Beijing
Beijing

People visit Qianmen Street during the Lantern Festival on a snowy night in Beijing February 28, 2010. The festival marks the last day of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Qianmen Shang Yuan Lantern Party, Beijing

Highlight: Lion dancing performances

Time: February 23 to 28

Location: Qianmen Street, Beijing

Organizers plan to restore and expand the original Shang Yuan Lantern Party which used to be held in Beijing's central Qianmen area in the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) Dynasties. Featuring an exhibition of elegant handmade lanterns by craftsmen from across the nation, the party will provide a festive gathering where visitors can appreciate the art of traditional lanterns with modern technology while enjoying riddles and fun games. Beijing craftsmen set up booths to entertain the festive crowds who poured onto the street to get an authentic taste of Beijing culture.

Qianmen has long been the place for lantern fairs. It's very location on the central axis of Beijing makes it a favorable option for tourists from far and wide. Many people pose by the flower altars and lantern stands to take pictures and record the moment of joy. Wang Shiren, member of Beijing Cultural Relics Protection Committee, said, "Lantern fairs date back to the Han Dynasty. That's some two thousand years ago. The tradition reached its climax in the Tang Dynasty, when the fairs were also held along the central axis of its capital city." And to the cheerful chorus of children, the lanterns are lighted up and down the street, bringing a joyful and festive atmosphere.

The Lantern Festival is celebrated everywhere on January 15th of the lunar calendar, right after the Spring Festival.

Traditionally, the Lantern Festival is a part of the Spring Festival.

This day is always the first full moon in the lunar New Year.

Across China, people celebrate by hanging up lanterns and festoons, attending dancing and singing performances, making “Yuan Xiao” or sweet rice dumplings and lighting fireworks.

This is also a continuation of the Spring Festival celebration.

On the Lantern Festival night, the moon illuminates the dark sky while many lanterns shine bright colors on the earth.

The traditions of viewing decorative lanterns on this night began more than two thousand years ago in the Western Han Dynasty.

In the earlier times, those beautiful lanterns were only seen in the imperial palaces.

Slowly it evolved into a celebration on the grand scale for ordinary folks everywhere.

A few days before the lantern festival, people begin gathering oiled paper, silk cloths, bamboo sticks and flower to make all types of lanterns.

Some people go to the lively streets to pick a personal favorite.

The lanterns sometimes come in a series about certain folklore, holiday customs, or lucky mascots.

The Lantern Festival is also a romantic holiday.

In feudal society, young girls were not allowed to go out freely.

But on the night of the Lantern Festival, they were allowed to view the lantern lights in groups.

Sometimes couples would go on dates strolling down the streets lit with lantern lights.

Today people still invite others to view lanterns together.

Across China, the Lantern Festival is celebrated in many different styles.

In places near water, people put Lotus Lanterns in the river to let them flow down stream, carrying the loss they feel for the relatives that have passed away.

In the North, as traditional customs combined with modern science and technology, there evolved the Ice Lantern Festival.

The combination of the ice and snow with colored lights, carvings, designs, and special scenery yield a spectacular winter paradise.

The Lantern Riddle is a special word-game played by the Chinese people.

The Chinese people not only craft many types of beautiful lanterns for the others to appreciate, but also create many interesting riddles.

The traditional riddles are written on the lanterns.

Today, many people glue a slip of paper with the riddle at the bottom of the lanterns for the viewers to solve.

Those who solve the riddles correctly will receive a prize from the riddle’s creator.

Just like China’s other traditional holidays, the Lantern Festival also has its own special dish —“Yuan Xiao”, or sweet dumpling soup.

Although the sweet dumplings differ in name and recipe from the North and South, they are always made with glutinous rice flour as the outside.

The filling is usually composed of different kinds of fruit kernels and sugar.

The sweet dumplings are always round and white, as it represents the moon on the night of the Lantern Festival.

Copyright: Michael Chang
Type: Spherical
Resolution: 8000x4000
Taken: 26/02/2010
Uploaded: 18/06/2010
Views:

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Tags: lantern festival
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