lantern festival at yu yuan garden

today is the last day of chinese new year holiday - the 15th day of the lunar new year. coincides w/ a full moon (how do they DOOOO that?) actually, that's why the new year falls on a different day every year (to ensure the full moon). some of my friends never know what day their birthday falls on without using their extra sharp mathematical skills.

and today, being the full moon - and to close out the holiday - is lantern festival. and to celebrate? well, one of the varkenkidlets got to tackle the mass of humanity at yu yuan gardens w/ the rest of her classmates.

these are the riddle lanterns. often just silly riddles like what has very large ears, a tail and a trunk. they're not as funny as one would expect. then again, i'm sure there are many things lost in translation.

these are the picture lanterns. they tell a story on each side. although, since they were up high, we really had no idea what stories they were supposed to convey. still, they were lovely to look at...

then we have the enormous "lanterns" this being the year of the rat (mouse) they tend to be awfully large. there were many of them and one would wander around a corner and there would be yet another great mouse lantern.