China's lantern festival fell on Monday, a celebration that marks the end of the New Year holiday. Celebrations were held around the country, with all kinds of folk performances on show.
Families were out visiting lantern fairs, a fixture of the annual celebration. In Chenzhou, Hunan province, many enjoyed a special dragon dance, which lit up in the night sky as its body was partially made of incense.
In Yunnan, in southwest China, which is home to many different ethnic groups, people performed folk dances, play musical instruments, and make sweet dumplings.
In Jiuhua mountain of Anhui province, pilgrims made wishes by climbing up through the heavy rain to the Buddhist temples.
Another folk custom is a 300-year-old tradition from Weixian county of Hebei, where performers throw red-hot molten iron into the city-gate, creating fireworks that dazzle spectators.
