The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and officially ends Spring Festival. As the first night to see a full moon in the new year, it is celebrated as a look forward to a better life.

The festival originated in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), and the tradition of lighting lanterns began in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220) when the emperor ordered the imperial palace and temples lit up to worship Buddha on that night. Later, the ceremony developed into a grand nationwide folk festival.

Paper, silk and glass are used to make lanterns. Children go out carrying paper lanterns, and adults enjoy lantern fairs, eat yuanxiao (glue pudding) and solve riddles on lanterns, which contain messages of good fortune, family reunions and abundant harvest.

The festival still creates a virtual ocean of lanterns throughout China. With advances in technology, electric and neon lanterns are often seen beside their traditional counterparts.