Bell Tower Street in Taiyuan is decorated with colorful lanterns to mark the traditional Lantern Festival, Feb 13. [Photo/Taiyuan Evening News] 

The Taiyuan bureau of culture and tourism recently launched four themed cultural tourism routes to invite citizens and visitors to celebrate Lantern Festival and get a better understanding of traditional culture. 

The four recommended travel routes are Mengshan Mountain-Taishan Mountain-Taiyuan Ancient County, Daotian Park-Taiyuan Botanical Garden-Liujiapu village, Bell Tower Street-Taiyuan Fantawild Oriental Heritage Amusement Park-Qinglong Ancient Town, and Shanxi Museum of Geology-Shanxi Museum-Shanxi Archaeological Museum.

People make lanterns in Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, Feb 11. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Visitors can appreciate lantern shows, taste glutinous rice balls, guess lantern riddles, watch folk customs and intangible cultural heritage performances and drone shows, and participate in campfire parties at different tourist attractions, or try lantern-making and creative drawing and listen to interesting lectures at museums in the city.

The traditional festival, which occurs on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Feb 15 this year, and is an important time for family reunions.

Folk performances are staged in Wanbailin district, Taiyuan, Feb 13, to celebrate Lantern Festival. [Photo/Taiyuan Daily]