In addition to being a visually striking holiday of lights, the Chinese Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie/元宵节) is also a great festival for fans of food. The tang yuan (a kind of sticky rice with filling) eaten on this holiday are usually filled with sesame, red bean, or peanut paste. Variations on fillings are many – Jusco and/or Carrefour offer a great selection of pre-made and ready to make tang yuan though a local small traditional restaurant might supply more flavor on this night. Night-time is the best time to head over to Zhongshan Park for viewing the lanterns. The Lantern Festival falls on February 17 in the Year of the Rabbit (2011).

Lantern Festival Tang Yuan Rabbit 2011

Relevant Links:
Lantern Festival (Tang Yuan Recipe)
Lantern Festival Traditions

Photo Credit@ James Elaine