"China’s 600-year-old Forbidden City, the Palace Museum in Beijing, opened Lantern Festival Night Tours for the first time on China’s Lantern Festival’s day in 2019, to allow visitors enjoy a beautiful light show and magnificent night view of lit-up royal palaces."
THE FORBIDDEN CITY'S LANTERN FESTIVAL NIGHT | 紫禁城的上元之夜
English Words: The Forbidden City's Lantern Festival Night
Chinese Pinyin: Zǐ Jīn Chéng De Shàng Yuán Zhī Yè
Chinese Characters: 紫禁城的上元之夜
Similar Chinese Words:
元宵夜 （Yuán Xiāo Yè）| Chinese's Lantern Festival Night
Related Chinese Words:
故宫博物院 （Gù Gōng Bó Wù Yuàn）| China's Palace Museum in Beijing
元宵节 （Yuán Xiāo Jié） | The Lantern Festival
上元节 （Shàng Yuán Jié） | Another Name of The Lantern Festival in Chinese
Related City:
北京 （Běi Jīng） | The Capital City of China
What Is "上元之夜" China's Latern Festival Night?
About "上元节" | Shàng Yuán Jié
The Lantern Festival, called “Shang Yuan Festival” in the ancient of China, is the first important festival after China’s Lunar New Year.
元宵节，中国古称上元节，是中国春节之后的第一个重要节日。
In traditional Chinese Taoism, the days on the 15th day of the first, seven and ten months in China’s lunar calendar are respectively called Shang Yuan, Zhong Yuan, and Xia Yuan, also known together as “Three Yuan Festival”. The Shang Yuan Festival in China is referring to the day of the 15th day in Zheng Yue (the first month of Chinese lunar year), which is the day of February 19, 2019.
在中国传统道教中（道教传统节日），以农历一月、七月、十月之十五日分别成为上元、中元、下元，合成中国的三元节。中国的上元节，是指中国农历正月十五这一天，即2019年2月19日。
About "正月" | Zhēng Yuè
Zheng Yue, also called Yuan Yue, means the first month in Chinese lunar calendar, the Chinese lunar January (the meaning of “Yuan” in “Yuan Yue” is similar with that in another Chinese festival “Yuan Dan”).
正月，是中国农历的元月，即农历年第一个月（元月中元的含义类似于“元旦”中的元字）。
About "元宵节" | Yuán Xiāo Jié
The Chinese ancients always called the night as “Xiao 宵”. Thus, the Shang Yuan Festival is also well known as the “Lantern Festival” in China, read as “Yuan Xiao Jie” in Chinese Pin Yin”, meaning the night of the 15th day of the first month in China’s lunar calendar. It is not only the first night of the full moon of the new year, and also one of the most important traditional festivals in China.
古人称夜为“宵”。所以上元节，在中国又称元宵节，即中国农历正月十五的夜晚，是一年中第一个月圆之夜，也是中国最重要的传统节日之一。
What the "元宵节" Lantern Festival Means to Chinese?
There’s an old saying in China: “To celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival, lasted half a month in Chinese lunar year.”
Most Chinese people thought the annual Chinese Spring Festival holidays should actually end after the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar. After a night of the Lantern Festival passed over, the celebration of the Chinese New Year is really passed over.
在中国，有句俗话说：过年过到正月半。
对大多数中国人来说，每年的中国农历新年假期，都应过到农历正月十五的元宵节。即上元之夜后，这个“中国年”的节日才算真正结束。
There are three major customs in the Chinese Lantern Festival: to eat Tang Yuan (Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls), to look at lanterns, and to enjoy the full moon, which has been passed down for over 2000 years in China.
中国元宵节有三大标志性节俗，一为吃汤圆，二为看花灯，三是赏圆月，在中国已传承多年。
Chinese Lantern Festival, is also one of the most romantic Chinese festivals. In ancient, only the night of Lantern Festival that youth girls were allowed to go outside with sisters, which was a rare chance for them to meet male youths at public because it was not allowed at usual. Therefore, many romantic love stories happening at the Lantern Festival nights were created and spreader for years.
元宵节又称上元节，同时也是最具中国浪漫色彩的节日之一，古代未婚少女平时“躲在深闺无人识”，只有上元夜才能被破例允许结伴出门赏灯，并因此流传下来许多元宵佳节花灯夜，才子佳人良缘美眷的浪漫故事。（戏曲话本中的多情男女会在“花市灯如昼”的浪漫夜晚擦出爱的火花，也传出了许许多多的良缘美眷的佳话）。
The Forbidden City's Latern Festival Night in 2019
Just during the nights of Lantern Festival in 2019 (from Jan 19th to 20th), China’s National Palace Museum holds a big cultural event of “the Forbidden City’s Lantern Festival Night Tour”. It is the first time to present a large-scale modern light show on the ancient Meridian Gate (Wu Men) and also decorated on the ancient city walls with red lanterns after every 5 meters’ instance, which were looked like the whole palaces groups surrounded under a circle of Chinese red. It is really a great activity corresponding to the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival.
故宫博物院选在2019年的元宵节连续两日夜晚（2019年1月19日～20日）这个时间段，举办了“紫禁城上元之夜”的大型夜景文化活动。不仅首次在古老的紫禁城城门上演了一出大型现代灯光秀, 同时在故宫的城墙上每5米设一盏红灯，为紫禁城宫墙笼上一圈喜庆的中国红光环，实为一出应景之作。
This Palace Museum’s night activity has created three “Firsts”:
- This is the FIRST time for the Palace Museum in Beijing to hold Lantern activities since it has been established for nearly 100 years.
- This is the FIRST time that the ancient palaces buildings of the Forbidden City were lit up at nights.
- This is the FIRST time that the Palace Museum was opened to the public at nights for free.
这次故宫博物院的夜景文化活动，创下三个“首次”：
- 故宫博物院建院94年来首次举办“灯会”
- 中国紫禁城古建筑群首次在晚间被大规模点亮
- 故宫首次在夜间免费对预约公众开放
Because of these FIRSTs, this rare night event has caused a big crash of tickets on the Internet due to the traffic. All limited tickets have been sold out less than one second.
The event also caused a new turn of the Palace Museum’s viral spreading over the Internet and China’s hot social platforms, such as the moments of WeChat. It also quickly occupied the top rank of Sina Weibo’s hot searching list.
因此，本次活动引发了大量中国网友的抢票热潮，数量有限的门票也被一秒售空。
在中国网络和社交平台中引起又一番中国故宫的现象级刷屏，活动消息刷爆朋友圈，也在元宵节当夜迅速占据了微博热搜榜榜首。
Those lucky visitors participated into the night event, can walked on the ancient city walls where the red lanterns hung, listening to the traditional Beijing Operas standing on the walls besides the Belvedere of Pleasant Sounds (“Chang Yin Ge”, the Forbidden City’s largest theater), admiring the famous Song-dynasty’s painting “Thousands Miles of Rivers and Mountains” projected on the golden glazed tiles of the palaces’s roof, and also overlooking the night views of the whole palace architectural complex of the Forbidden City. It is really a rare and impressive experience decorated with China’s traditional folk and customs.
有幸参与活动的人们，元宵当夜漫步在红灯宫墙之中，聆听着故宫畅音阁传来的传统戏曲，欣赏着投影在金色琉璃瓦上的《千里江山图》等传世画作，俯瞰夜色中的故宫古建筑群，别有一番中国民俗风味。
It is reported that the Palace Museum may open more night tour events on more Chinese festivals to the public in the future.
据悉，未来故宫博物院或将在更多中国节日开放夜游。
More to Be Continued...^_^
See u soon... : )
什么是 “上元之夜”？
关于 “上元节” | Shàng Yuán Jié
元宵节，中国古称上元节，是中国春节之后的第一个重要节日。
在中国传统道教中（道教传统节日），以农历一月、七月、十月之十五日分别成为上元、中元、下元，合成中国的三元节。中国的上元节，是指中国农历正月十五这一天，即2019年2月19日。
关于 “正月” | Zhēng Yuè
正月，是中国农历的元月，即农历年第一个月（元月中元的含义类似于“元旦”中的元字）。
关于 “元宵节” | Yuán Xiāo Jié
古人称夜为“宵”。所以上元节，在中国又称元宵节，即中国农历正月十五的夜晚，是一年中第一个月圆之夜，也是中国最重要的传统节日之一。
对中国人来说，“元宵节” 的意义？
在中国，有句俗话说：“过年过到正月半”。
对大多数中国人来说，每年的中国农历新年假期，都应过到农历正月十五的元宵节。即上元之夜后，这个“中国年”的节日才算真正结束。
中国元宵节有三大标志性节俗，一为吃汤圆，二为看花灯，三是赏圆月，在中国已传承多年。
元宵节又称上元节，同时也是最具中国浪漫色彩的节日之一，古代未婚少女平时“躲在深闺无人识”，只有上元夜才能被破例允许结伴出门赏灯，并因此流传下来许多元宵佳节花灯夜，才子佳人良缘美眷的浪漫故事。（戏曲话本中的多情男女会在“花市灯如昼”的浪漫夜晚擦出爱的火花，也传出了许许多多的良缘美眷的佳话）。
2019年紫禁城上元之夜，如梦夜景
故宫博物院选在2019年的元宵节连续两日夜晚（2019年1月19日～20日）这个时间段，举办了“紫禁城上元之夜”的大型夜景文化活动。不仅首次紫禁城的古老城门上演了一出大型现代灯光秀, 还在故宫的城墙上每5米设一盏红灯，为紫禁城宫墙笼上一圈喜庆的中国红光环，实在是故宫一出的应景之作。
这次故宫博物院的夜景文化活动，创下三个“首次”：
- 故宫博物院建院94年来首次举办“灯会”
- 中国紫禁城古建筑群首次在晚间被大规模点亮
- 故宫首次在夜间免费对预约公众开放
因此，本次活动引发了大量中国网友的抢票热潮，数量有限的门票也被一秒售空。
在中国网络和社交平台中引起又一番中国故宫的现象级刷屏，活动消息刷爆朋友圈，也在元宵节当夜迅速占据了微博热搜榜榜首。
有幸参与活动的人们，元宵当夜漫步在红灯宫墙之中，聆听着故宫畅音阁传来的传统戏曲，欣赏着投影在金色琉璃瓦上的《千里江山图》等传世画作，俯瞰夜色中的故宫古建筑群，别有一番中国民俗风味。
据悉，未来故宫博物院或将在更多中国节日开放夜游。
未完待续……^_^
See u soon... : )
What Is "China's Latern Festival Night"?
About "上元节" | The Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival, called “Shang Yuan Festival” in the ancient of China, is the first important festival after China’s Lunar New Year.
In traditional Chinese Taoism, the days on the 15th day of the first, seven and ten months in China’s lunar calendar are respectively called Shang Yuan, Zhong Yuan, and Xia Yuan, also known together as “Three Yuan Festival”. The Shang Yuan Festival in China is referring to the day of the 15th day in Zheng Yue (the first month of Chinese lunar year), which is the day of February 19, 2019.
About "正月" | Zheng Yue
Zheng Yue, also called Yuan Yue, means the first month in Chinese lunar calendar, the Chinese lunar January (the meaning of “Yuan” in “Yuan Yue” is similar with that in another Chinese festival “Yuan Dan”).
About "元宵节" | The Lantern Festival
The Chinese ancients always called the night as “Xiao 宵”. Thus, the Shang Yuan Festival is also well known as the “Lantern Festival” in China, read as “Yuan Xiao Jie” in Chinese Pin Yin”, meaning the night of the 15th day of the first month in China’s lunar calendar. It is not only the first night of the full moon of the new year, and also one of the most important traditional festivals in China.
What the "Lantern Festival" Means to Chinese?
There’s an old saying in China: “To celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival, lasted half a month in Chinese lunar year.”
Most Chinese people thought the annual Chinese Spring Festival holidays should actually end after the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar. After a night of the Lantern Festival passed over, the celebration of the Chinese New Year is really passed over.
There are three major customs in the Chinese Lantern Festival: to eat Tang Yuan (Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls), to look at lanterns, and to enjoy the full moon, which has been passed down for over 2000 years in China.
Chinese Lantern Festival, is also one of the most romantic Chinese festivals. In ancient, only the night of Lantern Festival that youth girls were allowed to go outside with sisters, which was a rare chance for them to meet male youths at public because it was not allowed at usual. Therefore, many romantic love stories happening at the Lantern Festival nights were created and spreader for years.
The Forbidden City's Latern Festival Night in 2019
Just during the nights of Lantern Festival in 2019 (from Jan 19th to 20th), China’s National Palace Museum holds a big cultural event of “the Forbidden City’s Lantern Festival Night Tour”. It is the first time to present a large-scale modern light show on the ancient Meridian Gate (Wu Men) and also decorated on the ancient city walls with red lanterns after every 5 meters’ instance, which were looked like the whole palaces groups surrounded under a circle of Chinese red. It is really a great activity corresponding to the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival.
This Palace Museum’s night activity has created three “Firsts”:
- This is the FIRST time for the Palace Museum in Beijing to hold Lantern activities since it has been established for nearly 100 years.
- This is the FIRST time that the ancient palaces buildings of the Forbidden City were lit up at nights.
- This is the FIRST time that the Palace Museum was opened to the public at nights for free.
Because of these FIRSTs, this rare night event has caused a big crash of tickets on the Internet due to the traffic. All limited tickets have been sold out less than one second.
The event also caused a new turn of the Palace Museum’s viral spreading over the Internet and China’s hot social platforms, such as the moments of WeChat. It also quickly occupied the top rank of Sina Weibo’s hot searching list.
Those lucky visitors participated into the night event, can walked on the ancient city walls where the red lanterns hung, listening to the traditional Beijing Operas standing on the walls besides the Belvedere of Pleasant Sounds (“Chang Yin Ge”, the Forbidden City’s largest theater), admiring the famous Song-dynasty’s painting “Thousands Miles of Rivers and Mountains” projected on the golden glazed tiles of the palaces’s roof, and also overlooking the night views of the whole palace architectural complex of the Forbidden City. It is really a rare and impressive experience decorated with China’s traditional folk and customs.
It is reported that the Palace Museum may open more night tour events on more Chinese festivals to the public in the future.
More Stories to Be Continued...
See u soon... : )
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Great article! Wanner go there and have a look some day!!
Jia You!