Tag Archives: Lantern Festival

“I whisper secrets, , make trees sway, My voice is felt, but not seen in play. Though I’m invisible, I can be heard all day.”

Age: 20


Date of performance: 2/22/25


Language: Chinese


Nationality: Chinese


Occupation: Student


Primary Language: Chinese & English


Residence: United States

Riddle:

“I whisper secrets, make trees sway, My voice is felt, but not seen in play. Though I’m invisible, I can be heard all day.”

Context:

This riddle is usually heard at Chinese lantern festivals in which is meant to be interacted with predominantly by children. This is the case because it is considered a beginner-level riddle. Children interact with these riddles from the festival as they are attached to lanterns during the event. These lanterns serve as a reward system and if you get a riddle correct, you are awarded a rice dumpling.

Interviewee mentions that most riddles from Chinese Culture are predominantly from Chinese Lantern Festivals. They heard this knowledge while growing up from their mom, but it is also generally well-known in Chinese culture. Furthermore, they mentioned it was such an easy riddle and refused to provide the answer upon introduction of the riddle having me try to figure it out on my own.

Analysis:

I was able to answer the riddle pretty easily despite feeling like I was being tricked by my friend. The answer was the wind, which felt pretty self-explanatory to me in the end. I find myself so used to the trend that riddles try to trick people through the use of making the answer something you can’t see that I naturally fell back to thinking of the wind first; which in this case was right as it’s a common riddle answer.

I found it quite interesting how riddles were introduced to children at events, not only that but through the use of lanterns. I’m so accustomed to them just being a verbal challenge that this is such a fun way to implement them and challenge kids. I find it such a fun way to help children integrate into Chinese festivals and help them feel involved in their culture

Duanwu

Nationality: Chinese American
Age: 23
Residence: Irvine, CA
Language: English

Text:

“This one is called Duanwu. It’s related to this actual poet that was in Chinese history. I don’t remember when was his time. I know his name is Qu Yuan. This poet was also like a sort of commander for an army or something. Either way, he is a very very loyal person, he was like very loyal to his country. And then I think one day, the empire believed some like bad people or whatever the empire did, the empire believed that he is about to betray the country. So they jailed him and then he ended up suiciding by jumping into a lake. And then from that time onward, every Duanwu people eat something called Zongzi. It tastes really good. It’s like this thing made of sticky rice and you have like either meat which or you have something that is like beans and is really sweet. And is called sweet Zongzi. It’s usually triangular and it has these bamboo leaves covering it and it has creams. But it tastes really good and if you see it in a market you should buy it. But yeah the point being that people will sometimes put like Zongzi they will throw it into the lake. The idea is that the fish will eat the Zongzi and not Qu Yuan’s body. But yeah it tastes good um something else that people do on this day is that there is usually like Yuan Xiao, its called translated into light festival. It’s all the fun stuff, it’s a kind of carnival thing. And people usually put Dēnglóng in the river. It’s like this light thing. Sometimes it’s like a paper boat with light. I don’t know they put it in the river with their best wishes. Yeah, but that part I haven’t personally experienced it, I’ve just read about it and my friends have gone.”

Context: The informant was born and grew up in China before moving to the United States to attend High School. The informant has not personally experienced Duanwu or Yuan Xiao, but has heard about them through family, friends, and by reading about it. The informant has eaten Zongzi, however not for a particular occasion.

Analysis: Duanwu is also known as the Dragon Boat Festival. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Duanwu serves as a way to celebrate the patriotism of the poet Qu Yuan. Eating culturally specific foods is a way to strengthen people’s national pride. The use of specific food such as Zongzi and the story of Qu Yuan work to create a sense of cultural pride and patriotism