(XINHUA)

Visitors buy lanterns in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, ahead of Lantern Festival, which falls on March 5 this year.

The festival is traditionally marked by parades of dancers dressed as lions and dragons and lantern shows. Family members gather together to eat yuanxiao—glutinous rice balls with various fillings such as sesame or peanut paste—which symbolize familial togetherness and the joy of reunion.

The holiday falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month and marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations.