Chinese people celebrate Lantern Festival with traditional dessert

As the Chinese people wrap up the Spring Festival celebrations with the Lantern Festival, a big part of this holiday celebration is eating "yuanxiao" or "tangyuan," a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice balls.

The Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, takes place on Feb 12 this year.

In southern China, people prefer hand-rolled "tangyuan," while in the north, they enjoy "yuanxiao." The traditional method to make "yuanxiao" involves repeated shaking to coat the sweet filling with dry glutinous rice flour.

"First, we dip the sweet filling in water. After that, we shake the basket, so the filling is tightly coated with dry glutinous rice flour. This process is repeated four more times, resulting in slightly fluffy 'yuanxiao,'" said Yu Bojun, a craft inheritor from the century-old pastry brand Daoxiangcun in Beijing.

Despite that most "yuanxiao" are machine-made today, it remains popular. For Chinese people, eating "yuanxiao" or "tangyuan" during the Lantern Festival remains a way to celebrate family reunion, community, and cultural heritage.

"I bought 1.25 kilograms of 'yuanxiao' today. They're for the whole family. Yuanxiao is a must-have for the festival," said a resident.

"I bought one kilogram of 'yuanxiao' today. I've made multiple purchases in the past few days. This time, I got all four available flavors," said another.

Traditionally served in a warm broth, this snack has also seen modern twists in recent years, such as a baked version.

Jinfang Snack has been serving residents in Beijing since 1926. Among its many snacks, the sticky rice balls have been a beloved local staple for decades.

"We sell around 175 tons of sticky rice balls each year. Our yuanxiao are easy to cook, and have a lot of fillings. Each rice ball is filled with nuts and an assortment of generous fillings. They are made fresh daily," said Qiu Yunhe, manager of Jinfang Snack.

This traditional dessert comes in different styles across the country. Sophia Du, an instructor and nutritionist at a Beijing-based cooking studio, the Hutong, shared more about the regional variations of this treat.

"So in northern China, we call it 'yuanxiao.' Usually you have a filling ready. Then you have the dried sticky rice powder. Then you put the filling into the powder then you roll it. And the other one is 'tangyuan.' Normally you have a dough that is mixed with water, like the sticky rice flour with water, you make a sticky rice dough, and then you put the filling inside, you make a circular ball, and you boil them," said Du.

Like many holiday foods, these traditional treats carry deep symbolic meaning. Their round shape represents completeness and family unity, while their sweet fillings symbolize the promise of a joyful and prosperous year ahead.

Chinese people celebrate Lantern Festival with traditional dessert

Some Iranians in Türkiye are crossing back over the border, driven by worry and desperation, as a nationwide communications blackout in Iran has left them cut off from their loved ones.

Protests have erupted in many Iranian cities since Dec. 28. They initially began with Tehran bazaar merchants demonstrating against the sharp devaluation of the national currency rial, and soaring inflation, before spreading to other cities. The unrest has led to casualties among both security forces and civilians.

At the Turkish-Iranian border, many are returning with no certainty about what awaits them, filled instead with questions and growing fear for those on the other side of the border.

"I went to Van yesterday for internet. I urgently needed to use the internet. I got it done. Now I'm heading straight back. There are protests everywhere. We can't get any news. We can't communicate with our families. And it's not just me, there are many Iranians outside the country who can't reach their families," said Feriste, an Iranian citizen.

With communications blacked out across Iran, those outside the country feel powerless to check on the situation back home. For some, this silence has prompted them to return across the border, even as tensions continue to rise.

"We can't get any news. There is no internet. Everything is shut down. I want to search. I want to find out. I want to see my brother. I'm going to see my family," said Husnu, an Iranian citizen.

"I work in Türkiye, and I have no news from Iran at all. I'm going back because I'm worried about my family. It's been days since I last heard from them, and because I'm worried, I'm returning to Iran now. Of course, we are concerned about our safety. We don't know what awaits us there," said another Iranian.

With protests escalating and government blackouts still in place, many Iranians are caught between staying in safety abroad and risking everything to reconnect with their families.

"We had to come to Türkiye because we couldn't reach our families. Schools were closed already. All official institutions were shut down. We have no information about other cities either, because there is no communication network there. There is no television, no internet. We can't even check Twitter," said Nazlican, another Iranian citizen.

Iranians in Türkiye return home, fearing for their families amid unrest in Iran