Lantern Festival, also called Shangyuan Festival, is celebrated on January 15 of Chinese lunar calendar. It is the first full moon night in the Chinese lunar year, symbolizing the coming back of the spring. Lantern Festival may be regarded as the last day of Spring Festival, the new-year festival of China, in other words, the Spring Festival does not end until the Lantern Festival has passed. Lasting to Lantern Festival, the busy atmosphere of Spring Festival on that day shows new visions and amorous feelings. Lantern Festival is regarded as a good day for family gather-together. According to the folk custom of China, people on that night will lighten up fancy lanterns and go out to appreciate the moon, set off fireworks, guess riddles written on lanterns, and eat rice glue balls to celebrate the festival. Some foreign people particular choose the China vacation packages of festival theme to discover this spree.

The tradition of appreciating lanterns on the Lantern Festival originates from the Eastern Han Dynasty, which has a bearing on the introduction of Buddhism into China at that time. It is a Buddhist convention that the monks would visit sarira and lighten up lanterns to show respect to Buddha on Jan 15. Therefore, Emperors of that dynasty, who were determined to promote Buddhism, ordered people to lighten up lanterns in both palaces and temples on that night to show respect to Buddha. Additionally, civilians were all requested to hang up lanterns on that night, which is why the festival is called "Lantern Festival". In the Song Dynasty, the custom of guessing riddles written on lanterns on Lantern Festival came into being and people at that time wrote riddles on paper strips and then pasted them on the colorful lanterns for others to appreciate and guess. In the Qing Dynasty, fireworks were set off to add fun, and the Lantern Festival by then witnessed a record-breaking grand occasion. If your China tours happen to fall into Lantern Festival, you could experience the spree by yourself heartily.

The traditional dim sum eaten on Lantern Festival is called "yuanxiao" (rice glue ball) or commonly called "tangyuan". A meaning of family reunion and happiness may be felt even only from such name. Yuanxiao has its exterior made into a ball shape and white sugar, sweetened bean paste, and sesame as the stuffing. Besides, walnut meat, nuts, and even meat can be used as the stuffing as well. Apart from the boiling manner, yuanxiao may also be prepared through deep frying and steaming manners.

As time goes by, the Lantern Festival has enjoyed more and more celebrating activities. Some places even add traditional folk-custom performances such as playing dragon lantern, Lion Dancing, stilting, striking land boat, doing the Yangko, and striking Peace Drum. The Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival which has undergone a history of over 2,000 years, is still very popular both at home and abroad, and any place where Chinese people live will witness a busy occasion on that day.

Come to China and discover why travelers-favored classic China tours usually contains festival-themed tours, especially lantern festival, another important traditional festival in China.

Chaoyang Park Bar Street is located in the near of Beijing Chaoyang Park, it is a popular place and attracts many young people including the foreigners. Chaoyang Park Bar Street is not bigger than Sanlitun Bar Street, however the environment of Chaoyang Park Bar Street is very good and the location is very good. Many tourists would like to go there with their friends after they get off work every day; it is a good place to have a drink and a good place to relax. In Chaoyang Park Bar Street, there are nearly 30 bars in total and every bar is equipment very well; and those bars enjoy their bar style very different, each bar has its special style.

So if you want to arrange a tour in Beijing and would like to have a drink easily during your tour, maybe Chaoyang Park Bar Street is suitable to you; besides this, there are many good hotels in the near of the bar street, so if you want find a place to live during your tour, maybe the Radisson Blue Hotel is a good and suitable hotel for you. The Radisson Blue Hotel enjoys a good position, the tourists of Radisson Blue Hotel only need cost 10 minutes from the Radisson Blue Hotel to Chaoyang Park and the traffic of Radisson Blue Hotel is very good, so the tourists of Radisson Blue Hotel are very easy to travel in Beijing. Along your Beijing tours, you could relax yourself along this street.