红灯的桔 (Red Lantern Festival)

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"The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival since Han Dynasty more than 2000 years ago. ... On the 15th lunar day of the year, some Chinese families worship the Heaven Officer of Taoism and pray for luck at home or temple during the daytime. Traditionally, Chinese should decorate the light lanterns around the house and children carry the candle paper lantern on the street at night. In light of the safety concern, not too many follow this custom today. In stead, many people will attend different activities of the Lantern Festival.
The lantern displays can be found in the town center square and temples. Usually. there is the lantern competition at the temple. Traditional lanterns are made by paper. They can make the lantern tuning around by the heat circulation from the candle inside. Today the light of the lantern is from the electricity. People like to design lanterns using zodiac animals, historical figures, saint and gods of Taoism or Buddhism. Certainly, the current year's animal symbol of the Chinese calendar is most popular subject. Using the computer tool today, they can design the lantern with different movements, the different colors of light and even using the laser light with special visual and sound effects" (http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/LanternFestival.htm).

The Red Lantern Festival is on the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration. It is an amazing time. All that you hear throughout the night is firework after firework and there is no pause in the sound. If you look outside, in some parts, even at 11:00 pm at night, the sky is lighted like it is day time (due to the fireworks). Lanterns are hanging every where, people are out partying and having a good time; it is awesome.

All of the shops and buildings have lanterns hanging and really bright, neon, lights. There is not much more that I can say about it other than that. It is pretty cool.

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Photos

Mobs of people
Lanterns, Lights, and you can sort of see the silhouettes of the mobs of people

Small Personal Lanterns
Our sweet small lanterns that every one carries

Small Personal Lanterns 2
...up close