元宵节 (Yuán xiāo jié) Lantern Festival
The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival; as this is the first day to witness the full moon, this day is called “元宵节” (Yuán xiāo jié) in China because the first lunar month is called “yuán元” and in the ancient times people called night “宵”(xiāo). According to Chinese tradition, thousands of colorful lanterns will be displayed for people to appreciate and represent the very beginning of a new year when there is a full moon hanging in the sky. At this time, people will try to solve puzzles written on the lanterns and eat “元宵” (yuán xiāo) , or glutinous rice ball and unite with their families in the joyful atmosphere. Have you ever had Yuanxiao before? Tell us!
Panda, Interrupted.
More lanterns! If you’re going to lose a contact lens, it’s best to do it where it is bright.
Perhaps hoping to show passing airplanes and satelites their e-mail addresses in what can be construed as the world’s largest spam, villagers in Yaozishang village, Yangqu county nearby the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi province construct a gigantic “@” sign more than sixty meters across in order to welcome in the new year.
The Bashang Grasslands, located at the juncture of the North China Plains and the Inner Mongolia Grasslands, isn’t just a beautiful place to take photographs of breathtaking natural scenery: it’s also a place to take snapshots of what appears to be the natural wildlife of the area, the landscape photographer.
Here she is, heads and shoulders above the rest: actress Zhang Ziyi (章子怡; Zhāngzi yí) on the cover of the later Marie Claire magazine.
While you may think “rhyme” is something that Ben Folds and other hipster singers don’t do in their songs, in terms of weather “rime” is what happens when ice appears on exposed objects as a result of a combination of fog and cold temperatures.
To make things as clear as ice, here is rime as seen in Changchun, Jilin province. In Chinese, “rime” is called 雾凇 (Wùsōng).
Schoolchildren feed black-headed gulls that have arrived at Dianchi Lake in Kunming City from Siberia to pass the winter. Hope the students brought a full lunch because there are an estimated 30,000 gulls that have migrated here.
Do you look at exotic destinations but can’t picture yourself as a tourist in such a predicament? Well, try imagining yourself as one of these people enjoying the best that Zhoucun Old City in Shandong province has to offer. Maybe you can then see yourself as a smiling, laughing person touring a part of China!
Here is a 60-foot dragon lantern lighting up the night in Yuyuan central square in Shanghai.
Lanterns and lantern festivals are considered one of China’s intangible cultural heritages.
