New Era, New Journey: Traditional Culture Empowers Urban Renewal
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that protecting traditional districts, ancient buildings, and cultural relics means preserving the history and cultural heritage of a city. This Spring Festival, the first Chinese New Year since the successful application for World Heritage status, a new landscape of integrated development between historical culture and urban-rural construction is slowly unfolding across China. This is evident in the renovated historical and cultural spaces and diverse cultural consumption experiences offered in various places. Over 580 million people visited national historical and cultural cities for the Spring Festival, a significant increase. More than 13,600 events, including intangible cultural heritage and folk activities, were held in urban parks across the country during the 8-day holiday. A travel platform's data showed a 228% year-on-year increase in searches for "ancient city hotels." This Spring Festival, "celebrating the New Year in museums" and "celebrating the New Year in traditional villages" have become new customs, with the perfect integration of historical culture and urban-rural construction creating a richer festive atmosphere. A city's historical sites, cultural relics, and humanistic heritage are part of its life. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has conducted multiple inspections and surveys of ancient cities, old houses, and traditional districts across the country, giving important instructions on the protection and inheritance of historical and cultural heritage. Strolling along Tianjin's Ancient Culture Street, he emphasized the need to "protect and make good use of historical and cultural districts." Visiting Changde River Street in Hunan, he learned in detail about the restoration and utilization of old city streets and urban planning. Delving into old residential areas in Chongqing, he stressed the importance of "retaining historical memory and unique features while addressing practical concerns of residents." In Anhui, he emphasized strengthening the protection, inheritance, and utilization of traditional villages and buildings. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, while demanding the "establishment of a sustainable urban renewal model and policies and regulations," also clearly stated the need to "establish a cultural heritage protection supervision system." To integrate historical and cultural protection into urban renewal, various reform measures are being accelerated. Following the issuance of the "Opinions on Strengthening Historical and Cultural Protection and Inheritance in Urban and Rural Construction," 14 provinces have promulgated provincial regulations for the protection of historical and cultural cities, and 110 national historical and cultural cities have formulated and issued protection-related laws and regulations. While building a systematic framework for advancing protection and inheritance, the scope of protection is also expanding. 143 national historical and cultural cities, 799 Chinese historical and cultural towns and villages, 1289 historical and cultural blocks, 8155 Chinese traditional villages, and 68,100 historical buildings have been identified and protected. At the same time, the pace of promoting protection through utilization is also accelerating. In 2024, more than 60,000 urban renewal projects were implemented nationwide, revitalizing a large number of historical and cultural blocks and buildings. Currently, central government budget investment has supported 26 projects for the protection and improvement of historical and cultural cities and districts, and pilot projects for the protection and utilization of historical buildings have been carried out in 8 provinces and 8 cities, empowering urban development through revitalization and utilization. In Suzhou, the local government launched the "Ancient City Protection and Renewal Partner Program" to help introduce new industries and urban functions into ancient buildings and old houses. This year, Shiquan Street, after its renovation, welcomed its first Spring Festival and immediately became a new landmark for local cultural tourism consumption. This year, with the acceleration of urban renewal actions, the Law on the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage and related regulations are being revised and promulgated, and a national urban and rural historical and cultural protection and inheritance system planning纲要 will also be released soon.
Central Military Commission Commends Model Units, Individuals for Combat Readiness
The Central Military Commission recently issued a circular commending 10 combat readiness pacesetter units and 20 combat readiness pacesetter individuals across the armed forces. The circular pointed out that in recent years, all military units have adhered to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military, earnestly implemented the military strategic guidelines for the new era, comprehensively strengthened combat training and preparedness, comprehensively improved the ability to win, flexibly carried out military struggles, effectively fulfilled the missions and tasks of the People's Army in the new era, and a large number of elite forces that fought on the front lines of military struggle, bravely served as vanguards in actual combat training, and bravely climbed the peaks of military scientific research have emerged. The circular required all military units to emulate the commended units and individuals, focus on achieving the centenary goal of army building, firmly grasp military struggle preparedness, continuously improve the strategic capability to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and resolutely complete all tasks entrusted by the Party and the people.
Lantern Festival Celebrated With Joy and Reunion
The Lantern Festival is here, bringing joy and celebration. People across various regions are enjoying the festival amidst a lively and festive atmosphere by admiring lanterns, participating in folk performances, and savoring delicious food. A splendid celebration. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, over a hundred people carried a 200-meter-long "bench dragon" with 88 sections, allowing everyone to experience the strong festive atmosphere. In Yu Garden, Shanghai, citizens and tourists immersed themselves in a sea of lanterns, taking photos with great enthusiasm. In Tianjin, people visited light and shadow markets, guessed lantern riddles, watched performances, and enjoyed naked-eye 3D light shows and drone light shows, experiencing the new vitality that technology brings to traditional lantern festivals. In Beijing Garden Expo Park, over a hundred large themed lantern groups, such as those featuring fortune, prosperity, longevity, and happiness, and more than 100,000 colorful lantern decorations allowed people to immerse themselves in the charm of traditional culture. Joyful Lantern Festival celebrations. In Zhongwei, Ningxia, stilt walking; in Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang, square dancing; and in Shandong, Jiaodong Yangko, people conveyed the joy of the festival through passionate and uninhibited performances. In Bazhou, Hebei, and Xiaogan, Hubei, dragon dances were powerful and agile, drawing frequent cheers from the audience. Citizens in Yiyang, Hunan, organized dragon dances, flower drums, and other performance groups to parade throughout the city, welcoming good fortune. Folk artists in Xi'an, Shaanxi, presented festival blessings through various forms of powerful drum performances. In Urumqi, Xinjiang, a Shehuo performance incorporated local characteristics such as Xinjiang folk songs and hand drum dances. In Lintan, Gansu, folk performances like lion dances and land boat dances attracted numerous spectators. In Xiangfen County, Shanxi, the Tianta Lion Dance, a national intangible cultural heritage representative project, was spectacularly performed, delighting citizens and tourists. Eating yuanxiao and celebrating reunion. In Chongqing, many tourist attractions offered steaming hot tangyuan to visiting citizens and tourists, sharing the joy of reunion and blessings. In the Hakka earthen buildings of Hua'an, Fujian, villagers prepared Fujian-style tangyuan and various specialty foods, sharing deliciousness and celebrating the festival with tourists. In Danzhai's relocated poverty alleviation community in Guizhou, resettled residents dressed in ethnic costumes gathered in the community square to participate in folk activities such as making tangyuan and guessing lantern riddles, celebrating the festival. In Nanning's multi-ethnic community in Huaqiang Street, Guangxi, residents sat together, adults and children all working to make and cook tangyuan, enjoying a harmonious time.
Full Moon Illuminates Lantern Festival
Lanterns illuminate the Yuanxiao night, bringing families together for reunion. Lanterns, also known as "dengcai," are a national intangible cultural heritage. Admiring lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is a traditional Chinese custom. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the first full moon night of the Lunar New Year, and the lively lantern festival is the most important ritualistic aspect of this holiday. Lanterns are believed to have originated in the Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and spread among the common people in the Song Dynasty, with elaborate craftsmanship and diverse varieties. "Heavenly streets with lights illuminate the night until dawn" was an ancient person's praise for the grandeur of the Lantern Festival. In the ancient city of Xi'an, the City Wall Lantern Festival continues the custom of "viewing lanterns on the Shangyuan Festival" since the Tang Dynasty. You see, this set of lanterns, modeled after exquisite Tang Dynasty artifacts such as the mandarin duck and lotus petal pattern gold bowl and the three-color phoenix-head ewer, incorporates elements of Tang poetry and national treasures into the lantern design. The Qinhuai Lantern Festival in Nanjing, Jiangsu, is one of the first national intangible cultural heritage items, with a history of over 1,700 years. Its lantern craftsmanship integrates traditional weaving, painting, paper-cutting, shadow puppetry, embroidery, and other manual techniques, making it unique in the grand garden of Chinese lantern art. Lanterns have been passed down through generations, with techniques constantly evolving and innovating. Zigong lanterns in Sichuan have a long history and are renowned worldwide, known for their grand scale and ingenious design, with composite lanterns being their most distinctive form. With the development of the times, Zigong lanterns have continuously broken through in production techniques, using ceramics, glass bottles, silkworm cocoons, silk, and other materials for lantern making, and constantly applying modern technology to bring the lanterns to life. In Quanzhou, Fujian, these lanterns, which incorporate the intangible cultural heritage of paper-cutting art, are called "carved paper lanterns." They have no internal frame and rely on the carved paper to support each other and distribute pressure. This ingenious design makes the painted and镂空 patterns on the lanterns more vivid and distinctive from lantern production across the country, making them one of the most representative crafts of Quanzhou lanterns. According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Celebrates Chinese New Year - Lighting Up China's Lanterns" event in 2025 has so far held 449 lantern festivals and colorful lantern activities across the country.
China's Total Social Logistics Exceeds 360 Trillion Yuan in 2024
The latest data released by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing shows that the total social logistics amount in China in 2024, which is the total value of logistics physical volume in economic operations, reached 360.6 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.8%. The overall operation throughout the year continued the trend of steady progress. While the scale of demand expanded, the demand structure also improved simultaneously, with a clear trend towards green and digital development. Industries related to new quality productive forces have steadily developed and grown, with the output of high-end products such as intelligent manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing maintaining rapid growth, becoming an important highlight of high-quality development in industrial product logistics. In addition, initial results have been achieved in reducing overall social logistics costs. In 2024, the ratio of total social logistics costs to GDP was 14.1%, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from 2023, meaning that the logistics costs required per unit of GDP decreased.
China to Implement Conservation Tillage on Over 100 Million Mu of Northeast Black Soil
The reporter learned from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs that this year, China will continue to implement conservation tillage on over 100 million mu of black soil in Northeast China. From 2020 to 2024, the central government has cumulatively invested 14.4 billion yuan to support the implementation of conservation tillage on 406 million mu-times of black soil in the four northeastern provinces, with 34 counties having an implementation area exceeding 1 million mu. Conservation tillage involves planting with little or no soil disturbance and with straw cover on the surface, which can effectively protect the black soil layer. Currently, conservation tillage has become the mainstream tillage technology in suitable areas of Northeast China. This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will promote the close integration of conservation tillage with large-scale yield enhancement of grain and oil, focusing on building around 60 overall promotion counties and over 800 high-standard application bases, strengthening yield increase effects while protecting black soil.
Spring Festival Travel Sees Over 7 Billion Cross-Regional Trips in First Month
Data from the 2025 Comprehensive Transport Spring Festival Travel Rush Task Force shows that today (February 12), the total cross-regional passenger flow across society is expected to reach 180 million person-times. In the month since the Spring Festival travel rush began, the cumulative cross-regional passenger flow across society is estimated to exceed 7 billion person-times. Today is the Lantern Festival, and the proportion of passenger flow for visiting relatives and friends and business travel has increased. National railways are expected to send 10.3 million passengers, with plans to add 702 passenger trains. Northeast China has experienced snowfall, and railway departments are precisely controlling train operations and boarding/alighting times to reduce passengers' waiting time outdoors. At Futian Station in Shenzhen, the number of passengers traveling between Hong Kong and the mainland has reached a peak, and the station has dispatched additional staff to guide passengers for orderly transfers. Today, the national highway passenger flow is approximately 170 million person-times. Affected by a new round of snowfall, as of this morning, 42 road sections in 8 northern provinces were temporarily affected by snowfall and icy roads. As of 3 PM today, the affected road sections have been reduced to two sections in two provinces, Shaanxi and Sichuan, with other routes resuming normal operation, and the national road network generally running smoothly. In terms of civil aviation, today, the national civil aviation passenger volume is expected to be 2 million person-times, with 17,474 flights planned. In the first 29 days of the Spring Festival travel rush, the average daily number of national civil aviation flights was 18,674, an increase of 8.38% compared to the same period last year's Spring Festival travel rush.
Spring Festival基层行: Cliff Village's New Cultural Tourism Landscape
Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan was once one of the deeply impoverished areas among the "three regions and three prefectures" nationwide. Nine years ago, a reporter filmed Atule'er Village, also known as "Cliff Village," situated on an 800-meter cliff in the depths of Daliangshan. For more than nine years, the reporter has used his camera to document the changes there. Today (February 12), in "New Year's Journey to the Grassroots," we follow the CCTV reporter back to Cliff Village. Along the winding mountain road to Cliff Village, we heard that a cultural tourism project called "Sky Valley" was being built in Cliff Village, which filled our reporting team with anticipation. Many remember Cliff Village because in the past, getting in and out of the village required climbing cliffs and precipices, initially using ladders made of branches and vines, and later reinforced with steel pipes to form steel ladders. This unique geographical feature has also become an advantage for developing high-altitude characteristic tourism here. Our first stop after entering Zhaojue was to the ski resort to find our guide for this trip - Labo, who is now a ski instructor. Born in 1994, Labo is a native of Cliff Village. Nine years ago, it was Labo who first led us into Cliff Village by climbing the vine ladders. In 2016, after our report on Cliff Village, tourism began to develop here, and Labo signed a contract with a cultural tourism enterprise. Now, in addition to being a ski instructor, he also undertakes the function of training villagers in safety services and guiding receptions. In 2020, in accordance with the national policy of relocating poverty-stricken people, 282 households and 1,219 people from Cliff Village successively moved down the cliff and into buildings in the county seat. Living down the mountain, with industries on the mountain. To help more people "settle down, have employment, and gradually become rich," Cliff Village developed its collective economy according to the industrial development plan of "combining long-term and short-term, interacting between planting and breeding, and integrating agriculture, culture, and tourism." Villagers increased their income through land transfers, planting olive trees, navel oranges, and raising sheep. Today, the per capita disposable income of Cliff Village reaches over 19,600 yuan, and the collective's investment in tourism is nearly 10 million yuan. Before the Spring Festival, the local government organized villagers to return to Cliff Village, planning to prioritize recruiting local villagers to work in the "Sky Valley" cultural tourism project. Currently, the first phase of "Sky Valley" has been put into trial operation, with steel ladder climbing becoming a cultural tourism experience project. The old school site, which was no longer in use, has been transformed into a tourist reception center, boutique guesthouses, and hot springs, which excites the villagers. Pacha Youge is now the Party Secretary of Guli Town, where Cliff Village is located. In 2016, when we first came to Cliff Village, Pacha Youge was the first secretary stationed in the village. Over the years, the roads, industries, and people in Cliff Village have changed, but everyone's aspirations for tourism development have remained constant. Taking advantage of the reunion in the village, Pacha Youge spoke a few words from his heart to the villagers. Pacha Youge told us that the Liangshan Cultural Tourism Group plans to invest 330 million yuan in the "Sky Valley" cultural tourism project, which is currently under accelerated construction, and will subsequently develop cable car sightseeing, hiking, cave exploration, and more. During this Spring Festival holiday, the first phase of the project has received over 3,500 tourists. Currently, Cliff Village has been successfully selected as one of the first batch of key rural tourism villages nationwide, and the villagers have more aspirations for the future.
Harbin 9th Asian Winter Games: China Dominates Gold and Medal Tables
The 9th Harbin Asian Winter Games entered its fifth competition day after the opening, with 7 gold medals produced. As of 6 PM today (February 12), the Chinese team has won 4 of these gold medals. In the cross-country skiing women's 4x5km relay final, the Chinese team, composed of Li Lei, Chi Chunxue, Chen Lingshuang, and Dinigeer Yilamujiang, won the gold medal. In the cross-country skiing men's 4x7.5km relay final, the Chinese team, composed of Li Minglin, Ciren Zhandui, Baolin, and Wang Qiang, won the gold medal. In the freestyle skiing women's big air final, Liu Mengting, Han Lingshan, and Yang Ruyi swept the gold, silver, and bronze medals. In the ski mountaineering mixed relay final, three pairs of combinations, Cidanyuzhen/Brur, Yujingxuan/Biyuxin, and Suolang Quzhen/Liujianbin, won the gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively. At this point, all cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, and ski mountaineering events have concluded. In the men's ice hockey quarterfinals that ended last night, the Chinese team defeated Chinese Taipei 7-2, advancing to the semifinals. Currently, the Chinese sports delegation firmly holds the top spot on both the gold medal and medal tables.
Domestic News Briefs
In 2024, tax and fee reductions supporting scientific and technological innovation and manufacturing exceeded 2.6 trillion yuan. Data from the State Taxation Administration shows that in 2024, China provided 2.6293 trillion yuan in tax and fee reductions and refunds to support scientific and technological innovation and manufacturing. Among these, policies supporting increased scientific and technological investment and achievement transfer accounted for 806.9 billion yuan in tax and fee reductions and refunds, while policies supporting the high-quality development of manufacturing accounted for 1.1094 trillion yuan in tax and fee reductions and refunds, providing strong support for the accelerated cultivation of new quality productive forces and the high-quality development of manufacturing. Names of China's manned lunar landing suit and manned lunar rover determined. According to the China Manned Space Agency, after public solicitation and selection, the names for China's manned lunar landing suit and manned lunar rover for the manned lunar exploration mission have been officially determined. The lunar landing suit is named "Wangyu" (望宇, meaning "gazing at the universe"), and the manned lunar rover is named "Tansuo" (探索, meaning "exploration"). Currently, the "Wangyu" lunar landing suit and the "Tansuo" manned lunar rover have entered the preliminary prototype development phase, and all work is progressing smoothly. Medical insurance drug and consumable traceability information query function launched. The "Medical Insurance Drug and Consumable Traceability Information Query" function has recently been officially launched on the National Healthcare Security Service Platform App. Users can obtain drug sales information by scanning the traceability code on the drug box. The drug traceability code is the "electronic ID card" of a drug. If a box of medicine is sold multiple times, it may indicate counterfeit drugs, returned drugs, or drug substitutions. The drug traceability code lays the foundation for full-chain drug supervision. China-Kazakhstan Entrepreneur Economic and Trade Fair held. The China-Kazakhstan Entrepreneur Economic and Trade Fair was successfully held in Astana on February 11, local time. Representatives from Chinese and Kazakh business circles conducted in-depth discussions on key areas such as oil and gas trade, clean energy, agricultural cooperation, and international logistics. Representatives from enterprises of both sides signed 8 cooperation agreements, including China-Kazakhstan energy strategic cooperation and China-Kazakhstan agricultural product import and export. Chinese New Year films set record for overseas screenings. Several Chinese films will be officially screened in cinemas worldwide, among which "Nezha: Master of the Dragon King" has broken the record for total screenings in North America with over 700 cinemas and over 116 in Australia and New Zealand, setting new records for pre-sales box office and screenings. In addition, the film "Creation of the Gods I" has set a new record for Chinese film screenings in the UK and topped the foreign language film charts in South Africa. At the same time, several new Chinese New Year films such as "Detective Chinatown 1900," "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero," and "Operation Devil Fish" continue to heat up their overseas screenings and preview showings. CCTV's "2025 Lantern Festival Gala" to air tonight. China Central Television's "2025 Lantern Festival Gala" will be broadcast tonight (February 12) at 8:00 PM KST simultaneously on CCTV-1 (General Channel), CCTV-3 (Variety Channel), CCTV-4 (Chinese International Channel), and other TV channels, as well as relevant radio frequencies, new media platforms, and the "Bailang Qianping" 8K ultra-high-definition broadcasting platform. The gala will celebrate the Lantern Festival with global audiences through various programs such as songs, dances, skits, and traditional operas.
Israel Vows Renewed Fighting If Hamas Breaches Truce, Hamas Threatens Retaliation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on the 11th that the Israeli security cabinet unanimously decided that if the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) does not release the Israeli hostages by noon on the 15th as previously promised, the Gaza ceasefire agreement will be terminated, and the Israeli army will resume "intense fighting" until Hamas is defeated. Hamas stated on the same day that it does not seek to undermine the ceasefire agreement but demands that Israel fully comply with the agreement, otherwise Hamas will retaliate. Yemen's Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said on the 11th that if Israel violates the Gaza ceasefire agreement, the Houthi armed forces will resume military operations against Israel.
Russia Claims Cluster Strikes on Key Ukrainian Facilities, Ukraine Reports Dozens of Drone Interceptions
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on the 11th that Russian forces carried out cluster strikes on energy facilities, military airfields, and drone storage sites in various parts of Ukraine using high-precision long-range weapons and attack drones. Russian forces consolidated their positions in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and other regions, and took control of a settlement in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian army stated on the 11th that Ukrainian forces engaged in dozens of battles with Russian forces in the Kupyansk, Pokrovsk, and other directions, and that Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted 57 Russian drones on the same day. US President Trump stated on the 11th that he would send US Treasury Secretary Bessent to Ukraine to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Trump stated that he hoped Ukraine would provide $500 billion worth of rare earths in exchange for US aid, and stated that Ukraine had largely agreed to this proposal. Ukraine states it is considering territorial exchange with Russia; Russia states Ukraine's military failure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told media on the 10th that if negotiations between Ukraine and Russia take place, Ukraine plans to exchange Russian Kursk territory under its control for Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on the 11th that Ukraine's statement was aimed at covering up the Ukrainian army's military failure in the Kursk direction of Russia.
International News Briefs
AI Action Summit Concludes; US and UK Do Not Sign Statement. The two-day AI Action Summit concluded on February 11 in Paris, France. Sixty countries and international organizations, including France, China, and the European Union, signed the "Declaration on the Development of Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity and the Planet." The statement highlighted the importance of strengthening the diversity of the AI ecosystem, and all parties expressed that they should promote AI accessibility to narrow the digital divide, ensure AI is open, inclusive, safe, and reliable, and strengthen international coordination and governance. The United States and the United Kingdom did not sign this statement. Canada and Mexico Warn US Tariff Policy Harms All. Regarding the US government's decision to impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on the 11th that if this policy is implemented, Canada will respond firmly and clearly. Leaders from Canada's 10 provinces and 3 territories are scheduled to visit the United States on the 12th to hold consultations with the US side. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on the 11th that the US tariffs benefit no one. Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard warned the US "not to shoot itself in the foot." According to US media reports, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil are major steel importers for the US, and nearly 80% of US aluminum imports come from Canada. Heavy Snowfall in Sapporo, Japan, Severely Disrupts Traffic. On the 11th, snowfall continued in many parts of Japan, with heavy snowfall occurring on the Japan Sea side of Hokkaido that afternoon. According to the local meteorological observatory, as of the evening of the 11th, Sapporo, Hokkaido, had accumulated 73 centimeters of snow in 24 hours. The local airport canceled 118 flights, leaving over 1,600 people stranded overnight at the airport, and multiple train lines were suspended.
Traditional Chinese Festival: Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival is one of China's traditional holidays and the last important occasion in the Spring Festival customs. To conclude the program, let's collectively experience the liveliness, joy, and cultural significance of the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao, "yuan" means beginning, and "xiao" means night. The first lunar month is the "yuan" month, hence the first full moon night of the Lunar New Year is called "Yuanxiao Festival" (Lantern Festival). "Celebrating Yuanxiao on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month." On the night of Yuanxiao, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, and thousands of colorful lanterns illuminate the ground. People enjoy the moon, admire lanterns, guess lantern riddles, and perform dragon dances, all in great joy. On the Lantern Festival, people in the north roll Yuanxiao, while those in the south wrap Tangyuan. Both Yuanxiao and Tangyuan can be boiled or fried, with a myriad of flavors, but they all symbolize a harmonious and fulfilling life in the new year. Only after the Lantern Festival is the New Year considered truly over. We wish everyone a prosperous and thriving year ahead.