Heritage traditions light up Lantern Festival celebrations across China

The time-honored Lantern Festival in Nanjing and the “ten-thousand-person tug-of-war” competitions in Gansu's Tibetan communities are among the vibrant celebrations taking place across China.

The Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar—or March 3 this year—is regarded as the joyous finale of the Chinese New Year period. Celebration reaches its peak as people gather to enjoy the final round of heritage traditions, including eating Tang Yuan, sweet glutinous rice balls, and participating in festive activities.

As one of the earliest traditions recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item, the Qinhuai Lantern Festival in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, marks its 40th edition this year.

This year's event features approximately 390 lantern displays across eight exhibition zones. At the Laomendong scenic area, lanterns are themed around the Chinese zodiac Year of the Horse, with over 30 sites decorated with creatively designed "horse" lanterns and ambient lights -- drawing large crowds of tourists eager to take photos.

"The atmosphere is wonderful, and the lanterns are truly beautiful," said Liu Weiping, a tourist.

In the ancient alleyways adorned with colorful lanterns, children can be seen carrying lotus or zodiac lanterns. At lantern shops, crowds bustled as many young tourists had already picked out their favorite festive lights.

"I think the lanterns on the trees are the prettiest because they're decorated with lots of little golden ornaments," said Tian Siyu, a young tourist.

"Business has been great from the Spring Festival all the way through to the Lantern Festival -- lots of customers. This year is the Year of the Horse, so horse-shaped lanterns are definitely our bestsellers," said Shi Wansan, a lantern shop owner.

According to official estimates, the Laomendong historical and cultural street is expected to receive over 400,000 visitors on Tuesday, the day of the Lantern Festival.

In Lintan County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, a national intangible cultural heritage tradition with over 600 years of history -- the "ten-thousand-person tug-of-war" competitions -- kicked off on Monday evening.

Recognized by Guinness World Records in 2001, this tug-of-war event is renowned for having the heaviest, longest, and largest-diameter rope, and the highest number of participants. Every year from the 14th to the 16th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, three matches are held each evening in Lintan County.

Local residents and tourists immersed themselves in the festive excitement, coming together in celebration to pray for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and national prosperity in the year ahead.

"I come every year. For the joy of it -- and hoping for good weather and good fortune, right?" said a participant.

Heritage traditions light up Lantern Festival celebrations across China

China and Bangladesh have strengthened medical cooperation through education and expert medical teams, training young talent and introducing advanced medical technologies to better serve patients in Bangladesh.

In southwest China's Yunnan Province, universities and hospitals are collaborating closely with Bangladeshi partners on talent cultivation and cross-border medical treatment.

Md Miftahul Mithu is now pursuing a PhD at Kunming Medical University in Yunnan. The young man from Bangladesh also completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in China.

"China is very well known for its rapid development and also in medical science, technology. And it has one of the best facilities, I believe, in the world. It allows students to expand their ability in medical science," said Mithu.

Mithu is now conducting research on spinal cord injuries, with a focus on breakthroughs in stem cell therapy. He hopes his work will help patients back home in Bangladesh.

"A majority of my country's people still depend on their physical strength to make their earnings. And work-related hazards as well as accidents might happen. It might damage their spine. What we are working on will help my country's patients to recover in a certain level to gain their physical strength," he said.

Mithu is one of many Bangladeshi students who have chosen to pursue medical studies in China. Since 2010, the Kunming Medical University has enrolled a total of 156 Bangladeshi students, with 31 currently on campus.

"Many graduates choose to return to their home country, serving local communities and contributing to local healthcare service and medical education development," said Liu Yajie, dean of the International Education School of Kunming Medical University.

Beyond education, medical collaboration between the two countries is expanding. In April, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University and Bangladesh Medical University established a joint surgical clinic to benefit more Bangladeshi patients.

Meanwhile, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University regularly provides short-term training programs for Bangladeshi medical professionals.

"Each year, we dispatch surgical experts, mainly in urology, gastroenterology, and spinal surgery, to Bangladesh, where they join local teams in outpatient visits and surgeries. This year, we will send three batches of medical teams to Bangladesh. The country is relatively weak in minimally invasive surgical techniques. We plan to introduce advanced medical technologies to Bangladesh to better serve local patients," said Li Wenliang, president of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University.

China, Bangladesh deepen collaboration in medical sector