CPC Central Committee hosts gala to mark Lantern Festival

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Chinese media) -- The Communist Party of

China (CPC) Central Committee on Monday evening hosted a gala to mark the

traditional Lantern Festival.

Top leaders including President Hu Jintao and

representatives from Beijing's intellectual circle attended the event.

Prior to the gala's opening, Li Changchun, a member

of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee,

addressed the participants on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.

He said the year 2008 was very extraordinary, during which the CPC Central Committee with Hu as the General Secretary led the Party and the nation to win the victory in combating unusual natural disasters, to successfully host the Olympics and Paralympics, and complete the mission of flying the Shenzhou VII manned spacecraft.

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hu Jintao (C) talks with delegates from the intelligentsia during a get-together marking the traditional Lantern Festival at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 9, 2009. The CPC Central Committee hosted a get-together here on Monday to mark the Lantern Festival.(Chinese media/Li Xueren)
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The year 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the

founding of new China, and it is also a pivotal year to face big international

and domestic challenges and realize new development in promoting the Party and

the country's causes, he said.

The official urged the intellectual circle to

shoulder the historic mission and continue to contribute wisdom and strength to

the country's reform and opening-up drive and the socialist modernization.

Other leaders attending the gathering included Wu

Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang.

The Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of

the Chinese Lunar New Year, is an occasion for family reunion. It marks the

formal end of lunar New Year festivities.



Lantern Festival to see biggest

festive moon in 52 years

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Chinese media) -- China's traditional

Lantern Festival will witness the biggest and roundest moon for the past 52

festivals Monday night.

However it will appear darker for a few hours because

of a penumbral lunar eclipse. Full story

China celebrates traditional Lantern

Festival with lamps and flowers



BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Chinese media) -- Traditionally an occasion for family reunion, the

Lantern Festival on Monday was celebrated widely by Chinese people in different

ways.

In a Siheyuan, or walled quadrangle residence, in the

Dongcheng district of Beijing, some foreigners were learning to make yuanxiao, a

kind of snack like glue pudding which was made especially for the festival. Full story