The Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival, which occurs on the 15-th day of the First Month of the Chinese Year, marks the end of the Chinese Spring Festival.

Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty.


Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing. And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling. It is very easy to cook - simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes - and eaten as a desert.

Lantern Riddles
Lanterns are everywhere. A most interesting tradition is the posting of riddles called 'Lantern Riddles.' Riddles are written on pieces of paper and posted on lanterns or wall. Any one solving the riddle is awarded a prize.