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Step into the charm and magic of the Lantern Festival on February 24! Originating from China more than 2000 years ago, this mesmerizing event is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Bursting with enchanting colors, twinkling lights, and traditional dances, the Lantern Festival brings together communities under a sky filled with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of lanterns. It's a time for family reunions, shared stories, and making beautiful wishes for the year ahead. Feast your eyes on this vibrant spectacle as we illuminate the night in the most magical way possible! Come join us as we illuminate the night, and let's create magical moments together.
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>25 AD</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Historical Beginnings</div><div class='timeline-text'>The origins of the Lantern Festival date back to the Han Dynasty (25 AD – 220 AD), where it was celebrated to bring good fortune and dispel darkness and evil.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>618</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Tang Dynasty Celebrations</div><div class='timeline-text'>During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Emperor Xuanzong established the Lantern Festival as a formal celebration, with grandiose displays of lighted lanterns across the capital city.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1644</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Qing Dynasty Customs</div><div class='timeline-text'>Under the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), it became a tradition to write riddles on lanterns for festival goers to solve, thus introducing the custom of lantern riddles into the festivities.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1800s</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Yaowang Lantern Dance</div><div class='timeline-text'>The Yaowang Lantern Dance, a popular folk dance performed with lion-shaped lanterns, began in rural Sichuan province in the late 1800s and has become a Lantern Festival tradition.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1990</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Recognition as Cultural Heritage</div><div class='timeline-text'>China's State Council listed the Lantern Festival as part of the country's first national list of intangible cultural heritage in 1990.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2015</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Global Celebrations</div><div class='timeline-text'>The Taipei Lantern Festival in 2015 witnessed over eight million visitors. Such global gatherings highlight the transformation of the Lantern Festival into a world-class event celebrating Chinese culture and tradition.</div></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Create and release your own lantern</h3><p class='facts-text'>Embrace the tradition of lantern making by developing your own! Use paper, bamboo, and candles to create a lantern that reflects your own style and wishes for the year ahead. Finally, join a lantern-release event or carefully release it in your own yard for a magical touch to your Lantern Festival.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Organize a Lantern walk in your neighborhood</h3><p class='facts-text'>Coordinating a Lantern Festival themed walk in your neighborhood is an exciting way to engage with your neighbors. Everyone can bring their lanterns and stroll around together, creating a beautiful spectacle of floating lights.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Host a Lantern making party</h3><p class='facts-text'>Invite your friends and family over for a get-together where you can all create your own unique lanterns. Handmade lanterns not only offer a creative escape but also add personal touch to the Festival celebration.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Watch Lantern Festival parades</h3><p class='facts-text'>Lantern Festival often includes parades that feature dragon and lion dances, as well as fireworks. Participate or just watch, either way it’ll be a great experience.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Indulge in traditional Lantern Festival foods</h3><p class='facts-text'>Food is a big part of the Lantern Festival and spherical foods such as Tangyuan (rice balls) are traditionally served. Making and eating these treats can be an exciting way to connect with the culture and traditions of the festival.</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Brings Together Communities and Cultures</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>The Lantern Festival unites families, friends, and even entire neighborhoods under a beautiful display of lantern-lit skies. It's an opportunity to learn more about and appreciate a different culture while participating in its rich and vibrant traditions. Moreover, it creates a sense of unity and togetherness.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Fosters Creativity</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>The Lantern Festival encourages creativity and artistry – from crafting your own lanterns to designing patterns that will illuminate when lit. It is a great occasion for both adults and children to express their creativity, artistic abilities, and impart personal significance into their creations.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Aesthetically Pleasing and Magical Atmosphere</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>The spectacle of the night sky, filled with lanterns of various colors and sizes, is truly captivating. As lanterns flood the atmosphere, it creates an enchanting and magical environment that leaves lasting memories. The essence of the festival is truly a sight to behold and an experience to cherish.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Unusual Shapes and Forms for Lanterns</h3><p class='facts-content'>Lanterns made for the festival come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not confined to classic round designs, they can resemble animals, fruits, birds, and even mythical creatures to add an element of fantasy to the festivities.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>The Festival Coincides with the First Full Moon of the Chinese Lunar New Year</h3><p class='facts-content'>As the Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, it often coincides with the night of the first full moon of the Chinese lunar new year, further enhancing its symbolic significance.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Performances are Key Elements of the Lantern Festival Celebration</h3><p class='facts-content'>Stilt-walking, dragon and lion dances, acrobatics, and even firework displays form an integral part of the Lantern Festival celebrations, showcasing traditional Chinese performing arts.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>The Holiday is also Known as “Chinese Valentine’s Day”</h3><p class='facts-content'>In some regions, the Lantern Festival is often associated with romance. This ties back to ancient customs when young women were not allowed to venture outside, except on this night when they could admire lanterns and meet potential suitors.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>The Lantern Festival has Inspired Other Cultural Celebrations</h3><p class='facts-content'>The essence of the Lantern Festival has influenced similar celebrations in other Asian countries, including Japan’s Bon Festival and Thailand’s Yi Peng Lantern Festival, showcasing its cultural reach.</p></div></div>
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