Lantern Festival, perfect ending to New Year celebration

As the action-packed Chinese New Year celebrations draw to a close, one last hurrah is in store.

The first full moon of the lunar calendar (Feb 22 this year) marks the start of the Lantern Festival and signifies the end of Spring Festival. Towns and cities across China are adorned with colorful lanterns on the day, and Kunshan is no exception.

Lanterns in various designs hang across the street. [Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Kunshan's water towns of Zhouzhuang and Jinxi offer an unparalleled way to enjoy the festival, as lanterns in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors reflect their light onto rippling waterways.

Lotus-shaped lanterns float on water as a boat passes by. [Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Many lanterns have a riddle written on it. Solving riddles is seen as an enlightening experience and the decoding process offers a path to explore the intricacies of traditional Chinese culture.

Dragon and lion dance performances are also arranged in the town to stir up a carnival atmosphere.

One of the best places in Zhouzhuang town to view the full mood on the day (weather permitting) is the Nanhu Lake. The long, arched bridge crosses the lake and offers many vantage points to take in the view of the moonlit water.

Nanhu Lake in Zhouzhuang town, Kunshan, offers great views of the full moon at Lantern Festival. [Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Alternatively, Jinxi town is home to the old lotus bridge and the bridge of 10 apertures, making it an epic setting for night time festivities.

The old lotus bridge in Jinxi runs across Wubao Lake and is close to the Lianchi Temple. It has tiled roofs and carved railings and its slight arch allows small boats to pass through it.

The old lotus bridge spanning Wubao Lake in Jinxi town lights up the water at dusk. [Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Glutinous rice balls with various fillings, known as tang yuan in Chinese, are commonly eaten on the day. The round shape of the rice balls and their sweetness represents a happy family reunion and is a dish well appreciated by Chinese.

Rich in culinary history, Kunshan has a range of other treats available to be sampled by visitors, including green glutinous rice balls, Fu'an sesame seed cakes and savory meat cakes.