Festive China: Lantern Festival
About this video
This video by China Culture focuses on the Lantern Festival, which marks the final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Filmed in Beijing, the video shows the city adorned with red lanterns and colorful lights. Viewers follow along as families visit temple fairs, watch lion dances, and enjoy sweet glutinous rice balls called tangyuan. The narrator explains the symbolism of the lanterns, which represent the wish for a bright future. The atmosphere is warm and family oriented, capturing the joy of gathering with loved ones. This video is interesting because it highlights how an ancient tradition adapts to modern city life, with Beijing's historic hutongs and modern plazas both serving as backdrops for the celebration.
Video transcript
lantern festival the earliest existing carnival in china falls on the 15th day of the first luna month its arrival also marks the end of spring festival celebrations it is customary to appreciate the beauty of lanterns at night during lantern festival large-scale lantern exhibitions are held throughout the country the zugong lantern show in southwest china's sutran province and yuyun lantern show in east china's shanghai are representative lantern shows with traditional local characteristics the qinghai lantern show in nanjing easter china's changsu
province is one of the most famous lantern shows in china dating back more than 1700 years it is held annually during lantern festival and runs for more than 50 days which is inscribed as one of china's first national intangible cultural heritages it is also the longest surrounding most attended and grandest lantern show in china guru yeah leon a native of nanjing is an inheritor of qinghuang lantern making a national intangible cultural heritage he began to make lanterns at the age of eight over the past 40 years he has traveled to 47 countries and sent
the art of ching hua lanterns to foreign skies with increasing number of chinese living abroad the world is gaining interest and accepting chinese culture lantern shows are held every year in many parts of the world to celebrate lantern festival to date auckland the largest city in new zealand has successfully hosted 20 lantern festival shows there are also regional differences in china's lantern art culture lanterns with leaked candles are signatures of the south in northeast china lantern festival in harbin heilum jam province boasts a one-of-a-kind
scenery glittering and translucent ice sculptures in different shapes create a fairy tale of crystallized reflections of color and light in addition to viewing lanterns there is another custom of lantern festival that cannot be missed eating tang yuan or glutinous rice balls the fillings can be sweet such as sesame or jujube paste or savory with minced meat or vegetables these sweet and round galaxies are melted from glutinous rice flour symbolizing wholesomeness of family sometimes people will pick out a tongue and put in a special stuffing such as a
coin the one lucky person who buys onto that coin is said to be blessed with good luck in the new year lantern festival is the last day of chinese new year celebrations for those working or studying away from home it is time to beat farewell to their families and set out on a journey in a brand new year you
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