After an eventful and joyous few weeks, Spring Festival drew to a close on Feb 11, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Rooster Year.
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A traditional dancing performance fills the residential community in Wuxi with the joy of Lantern Festival. [Photo/thmz.com] |
The last day of the festival certainly didn't disappoint Wuxi residents with yuanxiao, a sweet gluttonous rice ball traditionally consumed over the New Year period, boasting spirits and dramatic lantern shows held in many of the city's major scenic hotspots to make sure the Year of the Rooster began as auspiciously as possible.
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The Lunar Rooster Year's first full moon rises from the east of Wuxi city on 6 pm on Feb 11. [Photo/wxrb.com] |
Although there are many ways to enjoy the final day of Spring Festival, many Wuxi residents flocked to the city's iconic spots such as Huishan Ancient Town or Nanchan Temple, with the sweet sticky flavors of yuanxiao lingering in mouths, to gaze at gorgeously assembled lanterns. A diverse range of performances accompanied the light show. Audiences were awed by lion dances, dragon lantern dances, stilt-walking, and firework displays.
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Folk performances are staged at Wuxi’s Huishan Ancient Town in celebration of the Lantern Festival. The performances attract large crowds on Feb 11. [Photo/wxrb.com] |
For more than 2,000 years the festival has been celebrated throughout China to symbolize unity and perfection. The major tasks of Spring Festival have now been completed; ancestors have been worshipped, gifts have been given to friends and family, New Year greetings have been exchanged, relatives have been visited, and grand celebrations have taken place. As the flavor of yuanxiao dwindles, let's hope the Year of the Rooster is a sweet and bright one for Wuxi.
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Wuxi residents flock to Nanchan Temple, one of the city's iconic cultural and commercial scenic spots, to join the lantern show on Feb 11. [Photo/wxrb.com] |
