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TheLantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie, is a traditional Chinese festival that marks the end of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year
Since the Han Dynasty (206BC-221AD), the Chinese have celebrated the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month of the new year.
On the night of the festival, people go on streets with a variety of lanterns under the full moon, to watch lion or dragon dancing, and light up firecrackers.
Lanterns come in all shapes and sizes and are traditionally made of paper or silk. Some are created in the form of animals, insects, flowers, or people - or are they painted with designs, or scenes from legends or Chinese history.
Stilt walking, drumming and dragon and lion dancing are all traditional forms of festival entertainment.
The traditional Dragon dance is the highlight of most Chinese festivals. The dragon is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo and held aloft by young men who dance accompanied by pounding drums, cymbals and brass instruments.
The Lion dance brings good luck and is one of the most spectacular of New Year traditions. It is performed by two dancers: one at the head and one at the tail of the Lion.
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