Why is Lantern Festival also Chinese Valentine's Day?

Today millions of people across China and around the world will come together to celebrate the Lantern Festival. In a rarely known fact, the day is the Chinese equivalent of #Valentine's Day. The #festival falls on the last day of the #ChineseNewYear celebrations, the 15th day of the first lunar month. Its history could be traced back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) when the celebrations were characterized by the iconic Chinese red lanterns, lit to represent hope for the year ahead.

CGTN shares a classic Song #ci-poetry written by Southern Song dynasty poet Xin Qiji (1140 AD -1207 AD) in Episode 20 of Mastering Chinese Poetry: The Lantern Festival Night - to the tune of Green Jade Table. #Coronavirus #Culture #C
hinese #History #Literature #art #Classics #Poems #chinesemusic #Aspirations