Yuanxiao Festival has been an important traditional folk festival together with the Lunar New Year, Qingming (Ancestors’) Festival, Duanwu (Dragon boat) Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival since the ancient times. It is also known as the Shangyuan Festival, First Month Festival, Little New Year’s Eve, Minor New Year or the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao Festival is held on the first full moon since the Lunar New Year that symbolizes the arrival of spring. People will participate in various festive activities such as eating glutinous rice balls, lantern appreciation, and answering lantern riddles. It is also the first major festival after the lunar New Year.

    There are many stories about the origins of the Yuanxiao Festival. It was said that 2000 years ago when Buddhism was spreading in China, people could see the fleeting images of 17 heavenly deities dancing in the moonlight in the first full moon of every year. In one of those years, the skies were obscured by the skies and no one could see the dancing deities anymore. In their panic, they lit their torches to illuminate the skies to look for the deities. Since then, people would light fires every year even though they never saw the gods again, and the act grew to become a tradition with the passing years. In several regions, the lighting of the torches evolved to lighting lanterns or bonfires.

    According to historical records, Yuanxiao Festival began 2000 years ago in the Western Han era of China. It was said that on the 15^th of the 1^st Month, Emperor Wen of Han removed the Lu clique and regained political control over the country. Since then, he worked hard in governance and led the Han Empire to great strength. In order to commemorate this important day, Emperor Wen named the 15^th day of the 1^st month as the Yuanxiao Festival, and would assume civilian dress and journey outside the palace gates at night to have fun with the commoners. Since then, festival activities were held in each of the succeeding dynasties, such as answering lantern riddles, lantern admiration and setting off firecrackers, making it a truly bustling day.