China’s Lantern Festival 2019 – Marking the end of the Chinese New Year

The Lantern Festival in China takes place in the first lunar month on the Chinese calendar. The celebrations for next year are scheduled for the 19th of February. On the first full moon night after the Chinese New Year, folks gather with family and participate in various fun filled activities, enjoy various foods and send out floating lanterns.

The tradition began about 2000 years ago when Emperor Hanmingdi, a staunch Buddhist discovered that on the 15th day of the lunar calendar, some monks would light lanterns to pay homage to Buddha. Since then, the Emperor saw to it that all temples and houses did the same on this day every year. On this day, hotels in Xi an and all-around China, for example, Grand Park Xian will have festive cuisine and amazing fireworks displays will be planned for the night in every city. This period would be one of the best times to visit China to be inspired by the country’s culture.