Lantern Festival brings village together

On the evening before the Lantern Festival, the residents of the Gaobeidian village, just inside Beijing's 5th ring road, gathered by the river for their own celebration of the holiday.

A pagoda near the park where the Lantern Festival was held lights up the night for festival-goers on February 16, 2011. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

The public park along the southern bank of the Tonghui River was lit up with lanterns of every shape and size, including stars, rabbits, and fruit. The majority of hundreds of lanterns on display were hand-made by residents of the village, creating a community atmosphere for the celebration.

Despite the chilly night air, turnout was impressive: most villagers seemed to be there, along with several Chinese journalists. A lone German tourist stood out among the crowd.

The Gaobeidian village Lantern Festival takes place on the southern bank of the Tonghui River on the outskirts of Beijing on February 16, 2011. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

On the sidewalk, a stand selling lamb kebabs could barely keep up with the crowd, while other visitors perused painted clay figurines and traditional-style rabbits for sale by another vendor.

The constant chatter of villagers enjoying an evening out was only silenced by the main attraction: performances by two groups of villagers.

The largest and loudest performance belonged to the village's drummers, which consisted of several dozen residents in bright costumes performing traditional sets on drums and cymbals. Performers ranged in age from teenagers to the elderly, and the group has also performed at other festivals outside Gaobeidian. One older woman, surnamed Sai, said they've been practicing for this performance for 2 months, but she's been playing cymbals with the group for nearly 2 years, "It's good for my health, but I think that it's good to connect with others from my village."

The other performers were a big hit — that is, much taller than the average person. About 15 performers, dressed in traditional makeup and costumes, performed dances on stilts for a captivated crowd. Performing alongside his mother and father, the youngest of the group looked to be in his early teens.

A vendor cooks kebobs for the hungry crowd at the Gaobeidian village Lantern Festival. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

After the performances came to an end, a banner containing slips of paper with Chinese riddles were hung above an eager crowd. Visitors fought against the crowd to grab a riddle, but then turned back to their neighbors for help solving the puzzles. Correct answers were rewarded with a small prize.

As with any spring celebration in China, the night finished off with some fireworks.

This is the 6th year the village has held a Lantern Festival celebration. "We hold these events to remind people of the rich cultural past of the village," says Gaobeidian village head Zhi Fen.

Gaobeidian is an ancient village that has been absorbed into the expansion of Beijing's sprawling metropolis. While the city's expansion has offered Gaobeidian new opportunities for business and tourism, the village strives to retain its folk characteristics and sense of community.

The lantern festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, on the evening of the first full moon of the new year and marks the end of the New Year celebrations.