If one has an answer to a riddle, he can pull the paper to let organizers verify the answer. People write all kinds of riddles on pieces of paper, and paste them on colorful lanterns to let visitors guess. Visitors marvel that various lanterns so vividly demonstrate traditional Chinese folklore.īeginning from the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), guessing riddles is regarded as an indispensable part of the Lantern Festival. In the parks, lanterns of various shapes and types attract countless visitors. Today, when the festival comes, red lanterns can be seen in the street, in each house, and store. During the Tang (618 - 907), Song (960 - 1279), Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties, lighting lanterns became a tradition for Chinese people. So in order to popularize Buddhism, one of the emperors gave an order to light lanterns in the imperial palace to worship and show respect for Buddha on the 15th day of the first lunar month. With a history of over 2,000 years, various traditional customs and activities are held during Lantern Festival that appeal to people of different ages, including watching lanterns and fireworks, guessing lantern riddles, performing folk dances, and eating yuanxiao.ĭuring the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Buddhism flourished in China.
