Lantern Festival: Yuanxiao, Riddles and Light

The Lantern Festival (元宵节, Yuanxiao Jie) — celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month — marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations and is one of China's most enchanting festivals. On this night, lanterns of every shape and size illuminate the darkness, families eat sweet rice balls, and people solve lantern riddles in a night of celebration that dates back over 2,000 years.

The Lanterns

Lanterns (灯, deng) are the heart of the festival. Traditional lanterns are made of silk, paper, or glass, often decorated with calligraphy, paintings, or paper cuts. The most spectacular are palace lanterns (宫灯), elaborate constructions of silk and wood with intricate engravings. Modern lantern festivals feature giant lantern sculptures depicting animals, characters, and even entire scenes.

Yuanxiao and Riddles

The festival's signature food is yuanxiao (元宵) — sweet rice balls filled with sesame paste, peanut, or red bean. The round shape symbolizes family reunion. Another tradition is solving lantern riddles (灯谜, dengmi) — witty puzzles written on slips of paper attached to lanterns, with small prizes for correct answers.