Thousands of visitors enjoyed a fun, romantic Chinese Valentine's Day at the 1997 Spring Lantern Festival, at the refurbished Ko Shan Theatre and Ko Shan Road Park. The 15th day of the first lunar month is called the Spring Lantern Festival, which is also known as Chinese Valentine's Day. It is a day full of romanticism and tenderness. The Spring Lantern Festival is one of the traditional festivals to which the Chinese community attaches great importance. People in Hong Kong took the opportunity to celebrate in lots of different ways and 'freshen their spirits'. There were many reunions with families and friends. Organised by the Urban Council, the 1997 Spring Lantern Festival was aimed at allowing the public to enjoy an evening full of fun. Vice-chairman of the council's Entertainment Select Committee, Wen Choy-bon, said: 'As in the past, there were booths providing free palm-reading and fortune-telling services and arts and craft demonstrations.' Lantern displays were the highlight of the festival. In addition to the traditional lantern, zodiac signs and figures from the story Xi You Ji - The Journey to the West, such as the Monkey King, were also on show. Their were also lanterns designed to look like oxen. Tea drinking and a tea demonstration was hosted by Ngan Ki Heung Tea. Visitors were given the opportunity to taste the Ku Fu Tea. To go with the theme of the booth, 'Bring health to your home', a tea cup was given to each visitor as a gift. The company's manager, Ngan Man-ching, gave Young Post a few hints about tea-tasting. 'Colour, smell and taste are the major elements of tea-tasting. A good tea should be clear in colour, smell pleasant and taste sweet,' he said. To create a romantic atmosphere, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and a number of singers staged a concert of nostalgic Chinese classics and golden oldies. The Chinese traditional stage art and acrobatic show, performed by Dalian Acrobatic from China and the local Fantastic Art Club, was also popular with the audience. There were similar lantern festival activities in Wan Chai, Wong Tai Sin and Shamshuipo.
