Cultural celebration is the last chance for many families to be together until next year

Stilt walkers entertain onlookers in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, as part of celebrations to mark Lantern Festival. The folk art was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. (WANG ZHENG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Lantern Festival fell on Feb 5 this year, marking the official end of China’s Spring Festival celebrations.

Observed on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when a full moon appears in the sky, Lantern Festival symbolizes unity.

Traditionally, as the name of the festival implies, people light lanterns, play caidengmi (lantern riddles), attend temple fairs, enjoy the sight of the bright moon and eat food particular to this time of the year such as yuanxiao, which are glutinous rice balls with sweet fillings, or tangyuan, which is a sweet glutinous rice dumpling. Both are sticky with round shapes that denote tuanyuan, or reunion. The festival is the last chance for many families to be together until Mid-Autumn Festival or next year.

A girl in hanfu, a traditional Chinese dress, poses for a photo at a scenic spot in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. (LIU XIAO / XINHUA)

In Jiacun village, Hebei province, folk artists keep their balance. (ZHOU YANG / XINHUA)

A performer seems delighted as the reflection shows the makeup is perfect before taking the stage in the public square in Jiaozuo, Henan province. (XU HONGXING / XINHUA)

A folk artist performs datiehua (molten iron fireworks) to delight audiences in Zunyi, Guizhou province. The traditional performance involves throwing molten iron against a wall. The iron rebounds in sparks for a dramatic display. (LUO XINGHAN / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Visitors learn to make the rice-based dish yuanxiao in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. (CAO JIANXIONG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

A craftsman in Dongwangkan village, Handan, Hebei province, puts the finishing touches to a lantern ahead of the festival on Feb 5. (HAO QUNYING / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Illuminations at the ancient city wall in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, attract tourists during the Spring Festival holiday. (LIU XIAO / XINHUA)

With his daughter on his shoulders, a father takes a selfie at a temple fair in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. (DING GENHOU / FOR CHINA DAILY)