A deeply moving depiction of maternal love and the joy of reunion touched audiences through a heartfelt song performed at the 2026 Lantern Festival Gala sub-venue of Yibin City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday evening.
Hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), the long-running gala this year featured four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing. Taking the grand show to new locations each year has become a new tradition, shining a spotlight on more of China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.
At the Yibin venue, a special song depicting the all-important theme of family during the traditional Lantern Festival tugged at the heartstrings of viewers, displaying a yearning for a mother's love and the profound sentiments of festive reunion.
The moving musical number centered on a child's longing for a traditional Chinese dessert called tangyuan, glutinous rice balls which are typically served during the Lantern Festival. The word "tangyuan" sounds similar to the word for "reunion" in Chinese, making it a symbolic food which strengthens the idea of families coming together at this festive time.
Yibin is a dynamic city where time-honored traditions and modern vitality coexist harmoniously. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Yangtze River, the gala segment brought folk customs to life, portraying scenes of family reunions and festive joy while highlighting the river-side city's unique scenery.
In addition to Yibin, the other sub-venues for this year's Lantern Festival Gala included Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China known as the "ice city," the trading hub of Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang, which has been dubbed "the world's supermarket," and Hefei, the provincial capital of the eastern Anhui Province which has emerged as a prime location for sci-tech innovation.
The Lantern Festival, observed on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, lands on Tuesday this year, and marks the conclusion of the country's Spring Festival celebrations, which center around the Chinese New Year.
First broadcast back in 1985, the Lantern Festival Gala stages a whole host of entertaining variety performances including energetic song and dances, comedy sketches, as well as traditional operas and magic shows, highlighting China's unique cultural charm.
With a history spanning over 2,000 years, the Lantern Festival is deemed an important annual occasion in China, and is a time to admire the full moon, view traditional lantern shows, and eat "Yuanxiao" or "Tangyuan", a traditional ball-shaped Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice.
Yibin sub-venue paints touching portrait of maternal love, reunion during Lantern Festival Gala
