China News Agency, Beijing, February 5th (Reporter Wu Kan) "Thousands of pipers are boiling this night, and the lanterns are going far away." As the "finale show" of the Spring Festival, the most important theme of the Lantern Festival is excitement.

During the Lantern Festival, the family gathers together to eat glutinous rice balls, guess lantern riddles, visit temple fairs, and enjoy lanterns, pushing the festive atmosphere of the New Year to a climax and welcoming the new year in a reunion.

　　In Bangkok, Thailand, the family of Qi Bin, vice chairman of the Thailand-China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, and several Shandong fellows gathered to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

Qi Bin said: "Thai locals do not celebrate Lantern Festival, and it is difficult to buy Lantern Festival in supermarkets. I made a reservation for Lantern Festival in advance with my friend who owns a Chinese restaurant. Dumplings are always indispensable during Chinese New Year. We bought dumpling wrappers and adjusted the fillings ourselves." , everyone made dumplings together."

　　Qi Bin's family's Lantern Festival family banquet included many local delicacies in addition to Chinese dishes such as Dongpo pork, pork knuckle, and braised fish.

Qi Bin said that the most famous seafood in Thailand is seafood. They bought fresh big-headed shrimp and crab, served with Thai-style green chili sauce. The sauce is the essence of this dish.

　　"We restore the taste of our hometown in a foreign country, and continue the festival customs in our memory as much as possible." Qi Bin said that his deepest impression of the Lantern Festival in his hometown is that the whole family watched the lanterns together. After coming to Thailand, he went there every year Illuminations on Yaowarat Road, Chinatown, Bangkok.

"Two days ago we went to Yaowarat Road, where it became a sea of ​​red lanterns. The Chinese dragon lanterns and Jade Rabbit lanterns were lifelike. The lantern promenade for the Year of the Rabbit was dreamy and beautiful. Many people took pictures and checked in."

　　The dough made of glutinous rice flour is kneaded into strips, cut into noodles of the same size, gently rotated on the chopping board, kneaded into balls, put into boiling water until the glutinous rice balls all float up, and the cooked glutinous rice balls are dipped in sugar to eat, sweet and glutinous Delicious... On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Lu Jinlian, president of the Chinese Traditional Culture Association in Zurich, Switzerland, kneaded and ate glutinous rice balls with her family in her hometown of Yancheng, Jiangsu. The stuffed glutinous rice balls are the family's favorite traditional taste.

　　"Because my grandfather was ill, I flew back from Zurich to accompany the old man two days ago." Lu Jinlian said that they ate a special dish of their hometown "Yanfu Eight Bowls" for the reunion dinner of the Lantern Festival. Eight dishes including chicken and puffed cake, these long-lost hometown flavors are authentic and simple, evoking childhood memories.

"There are many Lantern Festival folk activities in Yancheng. Tonight our family is going to enjoy lanterns, guess lantern riddles, and watch Huai opera performances."

　　On the eve of the Lantern Festival, a large dinner was held at the St. Pierre Cote d'Or Sports Complex in Mauritius.

Lin Haiyan, the organizer of the event and the president of the Chinatown Foundation in Mauritius, introduced: “1240 guests attended the dinner, and 124 round tables were filled. More than 300 red lanterns created a festive atmosphere. We prepared pickled pork with preserved vegetables and tempeh Squid, sweet and sour sea fish and other dishes, and there are also performances such as symphony, Cantonese Han opera, and pipa performance.”

　　"During the Spring Festival, we held a number of Chinese cultural activities. Although the team members were tired, they were still full of enthusiasm, because everyone loved Chinese culture and shared their own culture with heart. People of ethnic origin can participate in it.” Lin Haiyan said.

　　In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the day of the Lantern Festival, Lin Guoyuan, president of the Malaysian Chinese Students Association, had a reunion dinner with his family at a Chinese restaurant.

Lin Guoyuan said: "The restaurant business is very hot during the Spring Festival. I made a reservation a week in advance. After a busy year, it is a great blessing for the family to have a neat and reunion meal."

　　"The most traditional Chinese glutinous rice balls in Malaysia have no fillings. They can be made in white or red, and brown sugar is added to the water when cooking." Lin Guoyuan said that more and more Chinese glutinous rice balls are entering the local market. There are various fillings, which are also very popular among Chinese.

　　In Malaysia, Lantern Festival is also regarded as Chinese Valentine's Day.

Malaysian Chinese have the custom of "throwing tangerines" during the Lantern Festival. Single women write down their contact information on tangerines and throw them into the lake or river, waiting for someone who is destined to pick them up.

Lin Guoyuan introduced that "throwing tangerines" originated from the custom of Fujianese Chinese in Malaysia. It first appeared in Penang, and then became popular in Selangor and Malacca. Now this folk custom has also undergone new changes. Young people will "throw apples"" "Durian Throwing" adds entertainment and interest to traditional folk customs.

　　Lin Guoyuan said: "Many people say that with the changes of the times, the flavor of the New Year in Malaysia is getting weaker and weaker. But in fact, the Chinese in Malaysia have always continued the traditional customs of the Spring Festival and the spirit of celebrating the New Year. It will be passed on to the younger generation.” (End)