Chongqing — As the first full moon of the lunar new year rises on March 3 this year, China celebrates the Lantern Festival, marking the official end of the Spring Festival holiday. Known as Yuanxiao Jie in Chinese, this centuries-old tradition falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month and carries deep cultural significance centered on light, reunion, and hope.
In Chongqing, residents are experiencing the festival in a particularly vivid setting at the Garden Expo, where a large-scale lantern exhibition illuminates the lakeside landscape. The display blends classic New Year elements with modern light-and-shadow technology, creating an immersive experience while preserving the festival’s cultural essence.
Across the country, streets, parks, and public squares glow with vibrant lantern displays, drawing families outdoors to admire the lights, enjoy the full moon, and soak up the festive atmosphere. Major cities now host expansive lantern exhibitions that combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic design, offering striking visual experiences while safeguarding cultural heritage.
Central to the celebration is the custom of eating tangyuan, or yuanxiao — sweet glutinous rice balls filled with ingredients such as sesame paste or red bean. Their round shape symbolizes completeness and family unity. In some households, a coin hidden inside one of the rice balls is believed to bring good fortune to whoever finds it.
Beyond the festivities, the Lantern Festival carries emotional meaning for many who have returned home for Spring Festival. It marks a moment of farewell as people prepare to resume work or study in other cities, making it both a joyful celebration and a symbolic fresh start.
As thousands of lanterns shine across the country on this final evening of the New Year season, they cast warmth and light over communities nationwide. In China, the New Year is not considered complete until the Lantern Festival glows beneath the early spring sky.
(Shi Linqiao, as an intern, also contributes to this article.)