Despite a new round of cold weather gripping parts of central and eastern China, people around the country are getting out of their homes to celebrate the Lantern Festival, with a variety of lantern shows, firework displays and artistic performances slated for the holiday.

Marking the end of the Chinese New Year holiday season, the festival takes place on the 15th day of the Chinese lunar calendar, falling on Monday, Feb. 6 this year.

In north China's Shanxi province, local miners are putting on a large-scale lantern show with lanterns they made themselves. Normally dreary places, the mines are filled with an air of festivity, courtesy of the exquisitely designed lanterns.

"From the themes and designs to the choice of materials and craftsmanship, the miners made everything themselves during their free time," said local miner Meng Xiangzhi.

"Preparing for the show took the miners four months. They have combined a variety of effects and techniques, including the use of smoke and water, to make the show a lively and amusing one," said show organizer Wang Yuxiong.

In the city of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, one lantern show features lanterns made out of fruit and vegetable skins, created by local children. The environmentally friendly lanterns are unique to this festival.

Much farther away, in the Changji Hui autonomous prefecture in west China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, folk dances and singing are the preferred modes of celebration. Cars, dancers and musical instruments festooned with decorations have added a colorful flair to the region's streets, with members of China's many ethnic groups participating in the festivities.

Wu Bingan, honorary chairman of the China Folklore Society (CFS), said that while most Chinese holidays feature a focus on family reunions and honoring one's ancestors, the Lantern Festival is an occasion for going outside and participating in public activities.

Wu said young women living in ancient China would be chaperoned into the streets during the festival, dancing, singing and possibly meeting their future husband.

The Lantern Festival has been dated back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - AD 900). About 17 ethnic groups, including the Han, Mongolian, Korean, Hui, Tibetan and Manchu groups, celebrate the festival, which was listed in 2008 as part of China's intangible cultural heritage.

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