China celebrates Lantern Festival

Tourists enjoy lanterns at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, February 7, 2009. The three-day lantern show opened on Saturday in celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival. The Chinese traditional Lantern Festival will fall on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, or February 9 this year. [Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy lanterns at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, February 7, 2009. The three-day lantern show opened on Saturday in celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival. The Chinese traditional Lantern Festival will fall on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, or February 9 this year. [Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy lanterns at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, February 7, 2009. The three-day lantern show opened on Saturday in celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival. The Chinese traditional Lantern Festival will fall on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, or February 9 this year. [Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy lanterns at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, February 7, 2009. The three-day lantern show opened on Saturday in celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival. The Chinese traditional Lantern Festival will fall on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, or February 9 this year. [Xinhua]

Tourists enjoy lanterns at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, February 7, 2009. The three-day lantern show opened on Saturday in celebration of the Chinese Lantern Festival. The Chinese traditional Lantern Festival will fall on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, or February 9 this year. [Xinhua]

A returned migrant worker performs dragon dances to greet the Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Year, in Yudu County of east China's Jiangxi Province, February 6, 2009. Nine dragon dance troupes formed by migrant workers returning from large cities gathered in Yudu County and took part in the Lantern Festival celebration. About 20 percent returned migrant workers have found new jobs or got employed by themselves in Yudu, a major source of migrant workers. [Xinhua]

Villagers perform Banqiao dragon lantern dance at Zhangshu Township of Yushan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, February 7, 2009. The Banqiao dragon lantern, with a length of 400 meters, has a history of hundreds of years. The villagers will perform Banqiao dragon lantern dance for three successive nights to celebrate the Chinese traditional Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese Lunar Year, or February 9 this year. [Xinhua]

In Hangzhou, the Lantern Show in Gongshu District is set to attract visitors.