Lantern Festival Intermediate

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Lantern Festival

Reading Passage

The Lantern Festival is one of the most magical celebrations in Taiwan, marking the end of Chinese New Year. This beautiful festival takes place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, usually in February or March. Thousands of colorful lanterns light up the night sky in cities across Taiwan. The festival has been celebrated for over two thousand years and remains an important part of Chinese tradition. Families gather together to enjoy the lights, food, and wonderful atmosphere of this special night.

Making and displaying lanterns is the heart of this annual celebration. Artisans spend months creating incredible lanterns in shapes of animals, flowers, and famous characters. Traditional lanterns are made from paper and bamboo frames with candles inside. Modern lanterns use LED lights and can be as tall as buildings. The Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taipei features a main lantern that often becomes the most photographed object that year.

Lantern Festival - ESL worksheet reading activity

One exciting tradition during the festival involves solving riddles written on lanterns. People walk among the hanging lanterns and try to solve the puzzles attached to them. Those who answer correctly often receive small prizes or treats. This tradition started hundreds of years ago as a way to test people’s knowledge and intelligence. Children and adults both enjoy the challenge of figuring out these clever word games.

Special foods are an important part of Lantern Festival celebrations throughout Taiwan. The most traditional food is tangyuan, sweet rice balls served in warm soup. These round balls symbolize family togetherness and unity because of their round shape. Some tangyuan are filled with sweet sesame or peanut paste inside. Eating these treats together brings good luck and happiness to families for the coming year.

The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is perhaps the most spectacular Lantern Festival event in Taiwan. Thousands of people release glowing paper lanterns into the dark sky. Before releasing, people write their wishes and hopes on the lanterns. Watching hundreds of lanterns floating up toward the stars is an unforgettable experience. This beautiful tradition has made Pingxi one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist destinations during the festival season.

Download Printable PDF Worksheet

Niveau: Level F

A. Vocabulary Matching

Match each word with its definition.

1. magical ______

2. tradition ______

3. atmosphere ______

4. annual ______

5. artisans ______

6. riddles ______

7. intelligence ______

8. symbolize ______

9. spectacular ______

10. destinations ______

a. to represent or stand for something

b. the feeling or mood of a place

c. very impressive and beautiful

d. the ability to learn and understand

e. puzzles or questions with clever answers

f. wonderful and seemingly enchanted

g. customs passed down through generations

h. places people travel to visit

i. skilled workers who make things by hand

j. happening once every year

B. True or False

Write T (True) or F (False) for each statement.

  1. The Lantern Festival starts Chinese New Year. ______
  2. The festival is over 2,000 years old. ______
  3. Traditional lanterns use LED lights inside. ______
  4. Tangyuan are sweet rice balls in soup. ______
  5. Riddles are written on the lanterns. ______
  6. The festival is on the first lunar day. ______
  7. Pingxi is famous for sky lanterns. ______
  8. Round foods symbolize family unity. ______
  9. The festival happens in summer months. ______
Lantern Festival - English learning resource for students

C. Fill in the Blanks

Word Bank: magical  |  tradition  |  annual  |  artisans  |  riddles  |  symbolize  |  spectacular

  1. The Lantern Festival is one of the most _______________ celebrations in Taiwan.
  2. Skilled _______________ spend months creating incredible lanterns.
  3. Solving _______________ written on lanterns is an exciting festival tradition.
  4. Round tangyuan _______________ family togetherness and unity.
  5. The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is the most _______________ event.

D. Comprehension Questions

  1. When does the Lantern Festival take place in the lunar calendar?
  2. What materials are traditional lanterns made from?
  3. What is tangyuan and why is it eaten during this festival?
  4. What do people write on sky lanterns before releasing them?
  5. Why has the Lantern Festival riddle tradition lasted so long?
Lantern Festival - ESL vocabulary and comprehension worksheet

E. Discussion Questions

Talk about these questions with a partner or write your answers.

  1. What wish would you write on a sky lantern?
  2. Does your culture have any festivals with lights or lanterns?
  3. Why do you think festivals are important for families?

Answer Key

Check your answers below.

A. Vocabulary: 1-f, 2-g, 3-b, 4-j, 5-i, 6-e, 7-d, 8-a, 9-c, 10-h

B. True/False: 1-F, 2-T, 3-F, 4-T, 5-T, 6-F, 7-T, 8-T, 9-F

C. Fill in the Blanks: 1-magical, 2-artisans, 3-riddles, 4-symbolize, 5-spectacular

D. Comprehension: 1. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month; 2. Paper and bamboo frames with candles; 3. Sweet rice balls in soup, eaten to symbolize family togetherness; 4. Their wishes and hopes; 5. It tests people’s knowledge and intelligence in a fun way

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