Festivals help lighten mood in a slowing economy

[Photo/Xinhua]

With great verve and passion, Chinese people celebrated Lantern Festival in traditional and trendy ways, despite the gloom of smog and the economic slowdown.

The festival, which fell on Monday this year, marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations. It is the day when people see themselves starting a new life in a new year.

China's cities were festooned with red lanterns on gates, along the streets and in most public places. Folk dances were staged in streets and squares, with lantern shows and fireworks putting a brilliant, dazzling final touch on the celebration.

Lantern Festival is an important family day, but unlike Spring Festival, when people stay home for dinners, it's a day for going out.

The festival dates to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24).

The annual Taiwan Lantern Exhibition on Monday had a 26-meter figure of the Monkey King as its center piece matching the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac.