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
The Ecological and Environmental Code solidifies China's successful reform experiences in the form of law, transforming ecological conservation into a long-term national goal for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, said a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday.
Chinese lawmakers voted to adopt the Ecological and Environmental Code at the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing earlier in the day.
Lyu Zhongmei, also vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee, who first proposed the drafting of the code, said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) that the adoption of the code represents a milestone in transforming the country's successful reform policies into a stable legal framework, with profound implications on both national ecological governance and people's daily lives.
"I think this actually sends a very strong signal to the world. Many of our past achievements in ecological civilization system reform were reflected through policies, with numerous reform measures introduced. This time, we are institutionalizing the successful experience of those reforms in the form of law, the most authoritative and stable way to solidify them. This shows that our efforts are not just a one-off campaign. Rather, ecological and environmental protection and the building of an ecological civilization are national goals that reflect the people’s aspiration for a better life and serve the ultimate purpose of ensuring the sustainable development of the Chinese nation," said Lyu.
Lyu highlighted that the code directly enshrines China's greenhouse gas pledge and dual-carbon goals into law, demonstrating the country's concrete actions to fulfill its international responsibilities and uphold its image as a responsible major country.
"We have directly written the commitment to fully meet greenhouse gas targets into the code, and incorporated pledges to use the 'dual carbon' goals as a driving force to advance a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. I think this reflects our concrete actions to honor our commitments and take responsibility to the international community, demonstrating China’s image as a responsible major country," she said.
On the topic of global trade, she explained how the code will help safeguard China's interests.
"On the one hand, we are raising standards for the green and low-carbon transition and adopting market-based measures. Some of the standards we have established based on China's actual situation and the methodologies we have created can contribute China's experience and expertise to the world. On the other hand, the Ecological and Environmental Code also includes provisions on extraterritorial application and establishes China’s own system of environmental protection standards," Lyu said.
Looking to the future, she discussed the code's role in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
"During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, I believe our ecological and environmental protection will undergo fundamental changes. In the past, it relied more on strict administrative enforcement and control. But now, while not lowering strict control standards or reducing strict control measures, we must also introduce more incentive-based measures. Strict regulation will push enterprises to transform and encourage them to pursue environmental protection. The code will provide a clear, long-term and stable norm. In my view, the Ecological and Environmental Code is not only a 'tightening band' that constrains corporate behavior, but also an 'engine' that opens up new tracks for enterprises’ future development," she said.
China's ecological environmental code represents milestone in environmental rule of law
