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This festival, also known as Shangyuan Festival, began more than a thousand years ago in the early Tang Dynasty. Since the Song Dynasty people have on this day eaten a special food, called floating balls, made of glutinous rice flour with various fillings and boiled in water. As Yuanxiao is still another name for this festive day, the balls have also come to be called yuan xiao.
Among Chinese traditional holidays the Lantern Festival is a day to "have fun." During the week before lanterns are displayed in every house. These lanterns, in beautiful colors and all kinds of shapes, show off the wonderful skill of the craftsmen who make them.
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