The Lantern Festival
According to the present practices, the lanterns sold in the cities nowadays have not changed much from the ancient types. People in towns and remote countries still buy their local makes. Therefore, on the days around the Lantern Festival, the scene is just as exhilarating as it was in old times. It is said that in ancient times people gathered pine boughs and bamboo leaves to put up sheds in the main streets on the days around the Lantern Festival. During the daytime, colourful silks were hung with tassels dangling in their midst. When night fell, lanterns were lit. Trees of lanterns created a luminous and resplendent scene. The lanterns shone in patterns of fish and dragons. Huge candles were lit, and drums and gongs were heard everywhere until daybreak. This celebration was called the Lantern Fair. colourful lanterns adorned the streets and lanes within the city walls. They even eclipsed the sun and the sky.
Gu Lu (Qing Dynasty) – Worthy Records of the Qing Dynasty
2010 Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival: For Chinese, it is an important and happy traditional holiday. This holiday originated in the Han Dynasty and is now popularly celebrated in the lanterns, activities such as solving lantern riddles, walking long distances to drive away all diseases, beating the peace drum and performing the dragon dance are also included. People eat sweet dumplings made from glutinous rice flour, New Year’s cake, and salty dumplings to signify family reunion and joyful living.
People dance with dragon and phoenix lanterns at a plaza in Jiaozuo, central China's Henan province, Feb 23, 2010, to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb 28 this year. Various events are held around the country to celebrate the traditional festival.
China Daily - Lantern Festival celebrations around China
China Daily - Lantern Festival celebration across China - 2
2011 Lantern Festival
Ancient text marks modern Lantern Festival
Children wearing hanfu, a traditional robe from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), read Dizigui (an ancient book of Confucius teaching proper behavior) at a Confucius Temple in Hangzhou, Feb 15, 2011. The temple held a ceremony where 80 youths and grown-ups dressed in hanfu and read Chinese classic texts ahead of the Lantern Festival, which falls on Thursday, Jan 15 on the Chinese lunar calendar.
Celebrations ahead of Lantern Festival in China
A child views rabbit-shaped lanterns at Baibuting Community in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, Feb. 16, 2011, one day prior to the Chinese Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first month of Chinese lunar calendar.
Lantern Festival celebration: spraying molten iron
A performer sprays molten iron against a concrete wall to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Nuanquan town of Yuxian County, Hebei province, February 16, 2011. For over 300 years, the town has carried out the tradition of spraying molten iron at 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 degrees Fahrenheit) against a cold concrete wall to form sparks-like fireworks during the Lantern Festival, which falls on Thursday Feb 17.
Lantern makers keep flame alive
Falling demand for ancient craft may lead to a dying of the light, reports Zhou Wenting in Fujian.
Li Zhuqin and her daughters have been burning the midnight oil making lanterns over the past two months. Days and weeks were consumed by the task and holidays sacrificed but they did it without complaint as this is the peak time to display their craft.
Sun Shulan, 67, joins friends adorned in traditional costumes in a parade in Bozhou, Anhui province on Wednesday to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Thursday. The festival officially ends the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Riddler strives to revive art
It is a common trend that most festivals worldwide adapt to the times and they sometimes become thinner. While the opportunities for fun remain or even enhance, the associated history is often sacrificed.
When asked for a description of Lantern Festival, most responses will state it is the last chance for fireworks, the end of the Spring Festival and an opportunity to consume vast numbers of delicious tangyuan.
But Wang Qian wants the public to remember another point of the Lantern Festival, namely the tradition of gathering together to solve riddles.
Wang, a retired professor who lives in Beijing, aims to achieve this by hosting a lantern riddle guessing party at the flagship store of Wuyutai, Beijing's famed teashop, on Feb 17, with around 100 of his own riddles.
Chinese riddle creator Wang Qian will hold a lantern riddle guessing party on Feb 17 at Wuyutai's flagship tea shop in Beijing.
Tea culture comes to life at Wuyutai + VIDEO
Wuyutai is a name known to almost every tea lover in Beijing. First established in 1887, Wuyutai enjoys fame as one of the Time-Honored Brands of China, and is well-known for its high-quality tea products and hospitable service.
The history of the teahouse is encapsulated in its name. Wu Xiqing, its founder, came from Anhui province to open a tea store in Beijing during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Wu named the shop Yutai, which was later updated to include his family name.
Wuyutai is most famous for its secret jasmine tea recipe - a sought-after mixture of green tea and jasmine that rings the right note for tea lovers. And it is in the process of applying to make jasmine tea part of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage.
After over a century's development, Wuyutai Tea House, which was renamed Beijing Wuyutai Tea Co in 2005, has more than 190 chain stores, two tea houses and two stylish tea cuisine restaurants.
For over 120 years, Wuyutai has been holding up its traditional tea producing methods and has won high reputation and credibility among generations of tea lovers.
People in Beijing like to go to tea houses. In olden days, they used to be the center of social activity. Nowadays, tea houses are still considered an ideal venue for socializing. The preparation of tea is an important part of the Chinese tea culture. Different kinds of tea require different methods of preparation. Offering tea is considered a sign of respect, courtesy and gratitude.
Along with Wuyutai's renowned traditional tea products, the company has developed various new products to expand its market share; namely, tea-flavored moon cakes, ice cream, candy and cuisines.
At the end of 2006, Wuyutai recovered an old tea cuisine recipe that belonged to Wu Xiqing, who was also a gourmet cook and was keen on introducing tea elements to traditional Chinese cuisines.
At the Refreshments and Cuisine of Wuyutai Court (Wuyutai Nei Fu Dishes), you can not only enjoy tea beverages, but also taste tea-related cuisines. Wuyutai advocates a healthy and natural way of eating. The dishes on its menu are mouthwatering and creative.
For instance, Puer Tea with Natural Fried Chrysanthemum is cooked so delicately from fresh chrysanthemum flowers without losing the natural shape or color of the flower. And the Puer tea on the side neutralizes the flower's coolness with its warmth.
Fresh Shrimps with Biluo Tea is quite fun to eat. The teapot alongside the shrimp is an automatic dark-red enamel pot, which pours tea automatically as soon as a cup is placed on the base.
And the "brushes" on this pallet are not made for Chinese calligraphy but for your stomach. This snack is made of wheat flour mixed with cubilose, shark's fin, snow clam and papaya. The ink-like stuff on the inkstone is actually blueberry sauce. You can also choose chili sauce if you prefer.
And one appetizer is made from French goose liver and green tea pudding. There's a piece of Kuding tea leaf on each cube of pudding. The appetizer combines the bitterness of Kuding tea with the scent of green tea, as well as the creamy texture of goose liver.
Eating at the Wuyutai theme restaurant is more than just a tea banquet. While you are dinning here, you can also feel the traditional Chinese tea culture and see how it was rejuvenated under Wuyutai's business philosophy.
History of the Shop
Wuyutai Tea Shop was first established in 1887 (the 3rd year of Emperor Guangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty), Its original name was Wuyutai Tea House.Wu Xiqing, the founder, was a native of Xicun Village, Shixian County, Anhui Province who died in 1930. Wuyutai Tea Shop has been located in No.44 Dongsi North Street since its inception.The teas supplied by Wuyutai Tea Shop directly came from the tea-producing areas of Anhui, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. And the scented Jasmine teas were specially made in the cells of Fuzhou and Suzhou and then were transported or shipped to the capital city and pieced together at different grades.The teas produced by Wu family tea house enjoyed good fame in the Northeast District of the city as well as in the distant suburban areas such as Changping, Shunyi, Pinggu and Miyun. They were the favorites of various professions and trades.At the time of public-private joint ownership operation after liberation, Wuyutai Tea House was renamed "Wuyutai Tea Shop". And the horizontal inscribed board carrying the green characters of "Wuyutai" in black setting was done by Feng Yiwu, a noted scholar.During the ten years of turmoil (1966-1976), Wuyutai Tea Shop was renamed as "Red Sun Tea Shop". On its 98th Anniversary in 1985, the time-honored brand of "Wuyutai Tea Shop" was restored.
A chef makes yuanxiao (tangyuan), or rice glue balls, at Laoshuku Yuanxiao Shop in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, Tuesday Feb 15, 2011. Yuanxiao is a traditional food for the Lantern Festival on the fift eenth day of the first lunar month, which falls on Thursday this year.
See Xiaosui's Chinese Home Cooking - Tang Yuan
CCTV How ancient lantern making skills passed down generations VIDEO
Lanterns are the main focus in marking the end of the Spring festival holiday. The Lantern Festival which falls on Thursday, is like many traditional holidays, as artisans try to show off their ancient handicraft skills that have been passed down generations.
82-year-old Wang Fuxin is renowned for his unique talent in making palace lanterns in Luoyang, the capital city of 9 ancient Chinese dynasties. More than ten people in Wang's family are able to help with lantern making, but only Wang Fuxin can finish the whole process all by himself.
Wang Fuxin’s son Wang Jianyong said, "There are 72 procedures in all to make a palace lantern. If the number is reduced any less, the style will change. It's not easy to make a Luoyang palace lantern."
The family has been making palace lanterns for more than 200 years. This photo was taken when Wang Fuxin was young. He says this kind of lantern is called Pai Lantern, which is very hard to make.
CCTV Chinese celebrate traditional Lantern Festival VIDEO
A festive vibe is building around China as the Lantern Festival falls on Thursday. Attending lantern shows, solving riddles, and making lanterns, people are making the most of the last days of the Spring Festival.
In Jiangyin city of Jiangsu Province, a local park has been decorated with one thousand lanterns. Each lantern has a riddle attached.
Solving riddles is a long-standing tradition with the Lantern Festival. In the Song Dynasty, people wrote riddles onto lanterns for visitors to guess for fun. These were later handed down as a kind of brain teaser enjoyed by people from all walks of society.
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