Lantern Festival celebrations to expand cross-Straits ties

The 17th Mawei-Matsu Lantern Festival is slated to open in Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian province Friday, five days ahead of Lantern Festival.

China's Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb 19 this year, is considered the curtain-closer for Spring Festival.

Every year, people in Mawei district in Fujian and Matsu Island in Taiwan share the holiday spirit by launching a lantern show together and exchanging lanterns across the Strait.

This year, 76 sets of lanterns are set to light up at Fuzhou's East Riverside Park.

The lanterns, which are divided into six sections, will feature themes such as the country's 40 years' reform and opening-up, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, cross-Straits ties and Spring Festival celebrations.

According to Lin Yinnong, deputy director of the Mawei district's bureau of culture, sports and tourism, the lantern sets, bigger than previous editions, have adopted some cutting-edge optical technology and are expected to bring spectators a stronger visual impact.

This gesture of cross-Strait friendship was initiated in 2003. It was the first national intangible cultural heritage co-applied for by the mainland and Taiwan.