The Lantern Festival fell on March 3 this year and is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month according to the traditional Chinese calendar. This festival marks the first full moon of the new year and also concludes the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The tradition has a long history. Today, people celebrate the holiday mainly by admiring different kinds of lanterns, tasting sweet rice dumplings and solving riddles written on lanterns.

Two kinds of sweet rice balls play a major role on the festive table - tangyuan a yuanxiao.

At the same time, folk performances and a series of lantern-related activities are held across China to create a festive atmosphere.

Lantern parades were also held before the holiday itself. For example, in Wuyuan county in east China's Jiangxi province, parades with fish lanterns and „board dragon“ lanterns wove through the streets and alleys in the evening.

Tourists followed the procession of fish lanterns and immersed themselves in an impressive night atmosphere full of lights, dancing and traditional symbols.

Some lantern-making techniques are listed as China's national intangible cultural heritage. However, this year's festivals also use modern technology to create immersive and interactive experiences for visitors.

For example, the traditional lantern exhibition in Tianjin, which has been held continuously since 1988, this year featured seven large thematic installations, ten decorative lanterns and a series of sculpted light objects. The combination of traditional craft techniques with modern light and shadow technology creates a panoramic three-dimensional visual effect.

For astronomy lovers, this year's Lantern Festival had one more special feature - it coincided with the only total lunar eclipse of the year.

CMG