Lantern Festival sparks colourful celebrations

Performers took to the streets in Yantai, in eastern China's Shandong province

Dazzling displays of lanterns have been lighting up the skies to mark the end of Lunar New Year celebrations and hail the coming of spring.

The Lantern Festival is held two weeks after Lunar New Year, which was on 10 February this year and ushered in the Year of the Dragon.

The new year is typically celebrated in parts of Asia, including China, South Korea and Vietnam, as well as in diaspora communities around the world.

As well as with the traditional lighting of lanterns, this weekend's festival also saw firework displays, night markets and entertainment from dancers and performers.

Colourful displays of lanterns have been seen across China, including here in Beijing

Red sky lanterns ascend to the sky in Chongqing, China

A dragon dance is performed amid fireworks in China's Guizhou Province, as the Year of the Dragon celebrations come to an end

Fish lanterns are paraded in Sanming, Fujian Province, by performers and children

A dragon dance is performed on the last day of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia as part of the Cap Go Meh festival

People releasing sky lanterns in New Taipei City, Taiwan, to wish for peace, happiness and prosperity

Performers carry a sedan chair as they jump on a fire - part of a traditional custom carried out during the festival in Putian, Fujian Province, China

A dragon statue is lit up in Banting, Malaysia, for the weekend's festival

Frog-shaped lanterns - like these seen in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China - are sent to the river bank ahead of the festival, in a wish for good health

The lanterns come in all shapes and sizes - as shown by these set up at Hong Kong Velodrome Park

Many places had light displays, including this park in Beijing, China

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