Marking the end of the Chinese New Year, Teng Chieh the Lantern Festival takes place on the 15th day of the year. It is also known as the "Shangyuan Festival", because it falls on the first full moon night.
The lantern festival marks the end of the celebration of Chinese New Year and began as a religious ritual nearly 2,000 years ago.
Lanterns
The lantern is a traditional symbol of the lengthening days of spring. Lanterns of various shapes and sizes are hung in streets, outside temples and around homes.
Lanterns in the shapes of dragons, birds or other animals.
Guessing the Lantern Riddle
Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. Small prizes are given for the correct answers.
Traditional Food
People eat yuanxiao, or rice dumplings, on this day. They are small balls made of glutinous rice flour filled with a variety of fillings such as sugar, rose petals, sesame, bean paste, walnut meat, dried fruit etc... Rice dumplings are boiled, fried or steamed.
