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Answer to How the Lantern Festival Lights up China

Feb. 21, 2016

Answer: D

The Lantern Festival “元宵节(yuánxiāojié)” is technically the last day of the Chinese Spring Festival and is an uplifting, traditional holiday. The literal meaning of “元宵节(yuánxiāojié)” is the Sweet Dumpling Festival. There is a large variety of delicious food served during the festival, but the most famous one is “元宵 (yuánxiāo) sweet dumpling,” which is what the festival is named after. And people often call it by a different name “汤圆(tāngyuán) glutinous rice ball.”

During the festival, the streets are filled with lanterns and the sounds of drums and merrymaking. You can also hear the loud popping sounds of many “烟花(yānhuā) fireworks” being let off all over. This joyous time consists of many different activities including the “舞龙舞狮(wǔlóng wǔshī),” or the dragon dance, eating sweet dumplings and playing the lantern riddles game. But “赏月(shǎngyuè) enjoy the moon” is a part of the “中秋节(zhōngqiūjié) Mid-Autumn Festival” in the fall.

Related Posts:

Top 3 Activities for the Upcoming Chinese Lantern Festival

The Legend of the Lantern Festival

中国元宵节 The Chinese Lantern Festival (Intermediate)

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Comments

This commentary is quite bizarre, and the correct answer is not D but A.

The yuan of yuanxiaojie (元宵节) means “first/origin/head” (and is also the money-unit yuan). It has nothing to do with the yuan of tangyuan (汤圆), which is literally a “soup-circle”, the glutinous rice balls.

At the end of the 15-day holiday period, the moon is FULL, so if it were not constantly cloudy & polluted in China, looking at the moon (your D) would be a fine/normal thing to do on the Lantern Festival.

On the other hand, the A answer (the dragon dance) happens at the start of the 15-day period, not the end.

Hi Peter,

I understand why you might be confused, and thanks for sharing your idea with us.

You are right that “舞龙舞狮(wǔlóngwǔshī) dragon dance” is the traditional activity happens at the start of the 15-day period, but it also happens on the Lantern Festival. You can know more about it at https://www.echineselearning.com/blog/top-3-activities-for-the-upcoming-chinese-lantern-festival

“元宵(yuánxiāo) sweet dumpling”, which we also called “汤圆(tāngyuán)”, is the traditional food in the Lantern festival. Chinese people would like to have it on that day.

In addition, enjoy viewing the moon, or “赏月(shǎngyuè)” is often a term associated with the Mid-Autumn festival not others.

Hope the explanation helps. And feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

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