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Chloe Loung

Are your loved ones in luck this year? See our predictions for all the zodiac signs in the Year of the Horse.
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month in the lunisolar calendar, which is on March 3 this year, and marks the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It is the first night of the new year to see a full moon, thus symbolising the return of spring and family unity.
The festival’s roots stretch back more than 2,000 years to the Han dynasty (206BC-AD220), though there are various versions of its exact origins.
One links the festival to Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty, a devout Buddhist who adopted the traditional practice of lighting lanterns in temples to honour Buddha. In Taoism, the celebration is known as the Shangyuan Festival, and it is believed that the “Heavenly Official” – the official in charge of good fortune – was born on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

The most famous folktale tells of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of Heaven, becoming enraged after his favourite crane was accidentally killed by villagers. Seeking revenge, the deity supreme planned to destroy the village with fire on the 15th day.
A kind fairy, upon hearing this plan, warned the villagers. Following her advice, they lit lanterns throughout the town on the appointed day. Looking down from heaven, the Jade Emperor saw the myriad of lights and believed the town was already engulfed in flames, thus sparing it. The tradition of lighting lanterns became an annual celebration of the town’s clever survival.
Today, the Lantern Festival remains one of the most visually spectacular and widely celebrated moments in the Chinese calendar. Here are six ways you can celebrate the occasion in Hong Kong this year.
1. Witness the ‘blood moon’ during a total lunar eclipse

This year’s festival comes with a rare and spectacular bonus: a total lunar eclipse. As the full moon rises at 6.22pm on March 3, it will already be partially eclipsed, appearing as a stunning “blood moon” with a dim copper-red hue.
The total eclipse will last for 59 minutes from 7.04pm to 8.03pm. This is a must-see, as Hong Kong will not see another total lunar eclipse until 2028.
The Hong Kong Observatory and the Hong Kong Space Museum will beam out a joint live stream for those who prefer to stay at home.
2. Marvel at lanterns around the city

One must-visit spot this year is the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui, where horse-themed lanterns and papercraft will be on display.
Another Instagram-worthy location is Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai. The pedestrian street is currently lined with more than 800 traditional red-and-gold lanterns suspended overhead. The best photo spot is in front of the 3.5-metre-tall pink peach blossom tree, which has a sea of lights behind it.
For a completely different and immersive light experience, head to the Wan Chai Harbourfront Event Space for Festilumi, Hong Kong’s first-ever immersive light art festival. This event features more than 20,000 light sculptures, and tickets can be bought online for specific time slots.
3. Make a Wish at the Lam Tsuen Well-Wishing Festival

The spiritual heart of Chinese New Year is well-wishing, and every year, the annual Lam Tsuen Well-Wishing Festival in Tai Po draws hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors.
The Lantern Festival marks the last day of the Chinese New Year period when people can fulfil a long-standing tradition: writing hopes and blessings on colourful cards and tossing them onto the branches of the famous Wishing Tree. If a placard catches on a branch, it is believed your wish will come true.
While visiting, make sure to stop by the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s on-site installation that includes two life-size stallion figures.
4. Eat tangyuan or yuanxiao

No Chinese festival is complete without a symbolic food, and for the Lantern Festival, it is the sweet glutinous rice ball. Known as tangyuan in southern China and yuanxiao in the north, these round dumplings are made from glutinous rice flour and have either sweet fillings such as red bean paste and black sesame, or savoury ones such as minced pork.
The roundness of these dumplings, known as tong yuen in Cantonese, represents wholeness, togetherness and family unity, its name a homophone for the word meaning “reunion”.
Traditional dessert shops and restaurants across the city usually serve them year-round, such as Fook Yuen in North Point.
The Michelin-starred Yong Fu is currently accepting pre-orders for its annual, limited-time takeaway for traditional tangyuan, available on March 2, 3 and 4, with a limit of just 100 boxes per day. The pre-order period lasts until March 1.
5. Guessing lantern riddles

This is a beloved intellectual tradition that emerged during the Song dynasty (960-1279), when the practice of attaching riddles to lanterns first began. By the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), it became a common way to celebrate for royals, scholars and common folk alike.
Passers-by who thought they had the correct answer could pull the paper off and check with the owner of the lanterns, and a correct answer often earned a small gift – traditionally elegant items like writing brushes, inksticks, fans or fragrant sachets.
The riddles themselves draw from an encyclopedic range of sources – classical texts, poetry, folk sayings, flora and fauna – and they can be witty, poetic and sometimes quite challenging. Today’s riddles go far beyond classical allusions to include topics like artificial intelligence, space technology, anti-fraud awareness and even internet slang.
To test your wits, you can head to the riddle fairs at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza and Victoria Park on March 3, or try the space-themed lantern riddles at the Hong Kong Space Museum.
6. Pray for romance at the revamped Yue Lao Hall

The Yue Lao Hall – a famed spot for worshippers to pray for love, friendship and good relationships to Yue Lao, the matchmaker god – within the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple reopened in January after months of renovations.
The temple is extending its opening hours to 7.30am-6pm until March 2, while on March 3 it will extend its closing further to 9pm, with the last entry being 8pm.
As always, there will be special activities and mementoes, including wedding ceremonies complete with traditional rituals – such as bowing to heaven and earth or sharing a ceremonial wine cup – as well as wishing bracelets and prayer cards that can be hung on the blossom tree outside the hall.


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One Instagram-worthy location in Hong Kong for the Lantern Festival is Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai, which is currently lined with more than 800 traditional red-and-gold lanterns suspended overhead. Photo: Edmond So

A child takes part in a lantern riddle game during an event celebrating the Lantern Festival in Changchun, in China’s Jilin province. Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Nan

A “blood moon” is seen over the roof of Yongdingmen Gate on the night of a total lunar eclipse in Beijing, China, in 2025. Photo: Reuters

Lantern decorations are seen at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Edmond So

A child attempts to hang a card on the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree. Photo: Eugene Lee

The roundness of tangyuan – also known as yuanxiao and tong yuen – represents wholeness, togetherness and family unity. Photo: Shutterstock

A boy and his mother attempt to solve lantern riddles at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at a Chinese New Year lantern display in 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee

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 新华社照片，淄博（山东），2025年1月9日
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    春节临近，山东省淄博市博山区的琉璃生产企业推出众多蛇年主题创意琉璃制品，受到市场青睐。博山区被誉为“中国琉璃之乡“，琉璃生产历史悠久，当地已发展琉璃生产企业12家、工作室65个。
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Marking the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lantern Festival has roots that stretch back more than 2,000 years


Marking the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lantern Festival has roots that stretch back more than 2,000 years.


What is the Lantern Festival? Plus 6 ways to celebrate it in Hong Kong in 2026

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Marking the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lantern Festival has roots that stretch back more than 2,000 years

Marking the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lantern Festival has roots that stretch back more than 2,000 years