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Yuanxiao Festival Story

Posted on July 28, 2026July 28, 2026 by tiffany

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Story · HSK 3+ · Lantern Festival · Part 1
元

Yuanxiao Festival Story

元宵節的故事(上)元宵节的故事(上)

Posted July 28, 2026 Author Tiffany Reading time 9 mins

This story explains the legend behind the Lantern Festival (元宵節) — why people light lanterns, and why the sweet rice dumplings called “yuanxiao” share their name with the festival itself.

Yuanxiao Festival illustration

Listen to the Complete Story

Story

Story Part 1 Story Part 2

漢武帝Hànwǔdì的de時候shíhòu, 有yǒu個ge年輕niánqīng可愛kěài的de宮女gōngnǚ名叫míngjiào元宵Yuánxiāo。 汉武帝Hànwǔdì的de时候shíhòu, 有yǒu个ge年轻niánqīng可爱kěài的de宫女gōngnǚ名叫míngjiào元宵Yuánxiāo。

她Tā很hěn會huì做zuò湯圓tāngyuán, 也yě很hěn愛ài做zuò湯圓tāngyuán。 她Tā很hěn会huì做zuò汤圆tāngyuán, 也yě很hěn爱ài做zuò汤圆tāngyuán。

宮裡Gōnglǐ還hái有yǒu一個yíge名叫míngjiào東方朔Dōngfāngshuò的de人rén, 他tā很hěn聰明cōngmíng, 也yě很hěn善良shànliáng, 而且érqiě對duì人rén很hěn好hǎo。 宫里Gōnglǐ还hái有yǒu一个yíge名叫míngjiào东方朔Dōngfāngshuò的de人rén, 他tā很hěn聪明cōngmíng, 也yě很hěn善良shànliáng, 而且érqiě对duì人rén很hěn好hǎo。

這天Zhètiān, 東方朔Dōngfāngshuò正在zhèngzài看書kànshū, 元宵Yuánxiāo送來sònglái一碗yìwǎn湯圓tāngyuán說shuō: 「 休息xiūxí一下yíxià吧ba。 」 这天Zhètiān, 东方朔Dōngfāngshuò正在zhèngzài看书kànshū, 元宵Yuánxiāo送来sònglái一碗yìwǎn汤圆tāngyuán说shuō: “ 休息xiūxí一下yíxià吧ba。 ”

「 哇Wā! 太好了tàihǎole, 我wǒ最zuì喜歡xǐhuān吃chī你nǐ做zuò的de湯圓tāngyuán了le。 」 “ 哇Wā! 太好了tàihǎole, 我wǒ最zuì喜欢xǐhuān吃chī你nǐ做zuò的de汤圆tāngyuán了le。 ”

東方朔Dōngfāngshuò放下fàngxià書shū, 很hěn高興gāoxìng的de吃了chīle一大口yídàkǒu。 东方朔Dōngfāngshuò放下fàngxià书shū, 很hěn高兴gāoxìng的de吃了chīle一大口yídàkǒu。

「 怎麼了Zěnmele? 」 東方朔Dōngfāngshuò發現到fāxiàndào元宵Yuánxiāo好像hǎoxiàng不bù高興gāoxìng, 所以suǒyǐ問wèn她tā。 “ 怎么了Zěnmele? ” 东方朔Dōngfāngshuò发现到fāxiàndào元宵Yuánxiāo好像hǎoxiàng不bù高兴gāoxìng, 所以suǒyǐ问wèn她tā。

「 沒有Méiyǒu什麼shénme, 只是zhǐshì有點yǒudiǎn想家xiǎngjiā, 可是kěshì我wǒ再也zàiyě看不kànbú他們tāmen了le……。 」 元宵Yuánxiāo哭著kūzhe說shuō。 “ 没有Méiyǒu什么shénme, 只是zhǐshì有点yǒudiǎn想家xiǎngjiā, 可是kěshì我wǒ再也zàiyě看不kànbú他们tāmen了le……。 ” 元宵Yuánxiāo哭着kūzhe说shuō。

「 不要Búyào難過nánguò, 我wǒ一定yídìng會huì想xiǎng個ge辦法bànfǎ讓ràng你nǐ跟gēn家人jiārén見面jiànmiàn。 」 東方朔Dōngfāngshuò說shuō。 “ 不要Búyào难过nánguò, 我wǒ一定yídìng会huì想xiǎng个ge办法bànfǎ让ràng你nǐ跟gēn家人jiārén见面jiànmiàn。 ” 东方朔Dōngfāngshuò说shuō。

可是Kěshì要yào怎麼辦zěnmebàn呢ne? 東方朔Dōngfāngshuò想xiǎng了le很久hěnjiǔ終於zhōngyú想到了xiǎngdàole。 可是Kěshì要yào怎么办zěnmebàn呢ne? 东方朔Dōngfāngshuò想xiǎng了le很久hěnjiǔ终于zhōngyú想到了xiǎngdàole。

他Tā請qǐng元宵Yuánxiāo的de妹妹mèimei假扮jiǎbàn火神huǒshén的de使者shǐzhě, 自己zìjǐ再zài回到huídào長安Cháng’ān大街上dàjiēshàng賣起卦來màiqǐguàlái。 他Tā请qǐng元宵Yuánxiāo的de妹妹mèimei假扮jiǎbàn火神huǒshén的de使者shǐzhě, 自己zìjǐ再zài回到huídào长安Cháng’ān大街上dàjiēshàng卖起卦来màiqǐguàlái。

但是Dànshì來lái求卦qiúguà的de人rén, 不管bùguǎn問wèn什麼shénme, 得到dédào的de答案dáàn都dōu是shì一樣的yíyàngde: 「 正月zhēngyuè十六shíliù火焚身huǒfénshēn! 」 但是Dànshì来lái求卦qiúguà的de人rén, 不管bùguǎn问wèn什么shénme, 得到dédào的de答案dáàn都dōu是shì一样的yíyàngde: “ 正月zhēngyuè十六shíliù火焚身huǒfénshēn! ”

「 先生Xiānshēng, 怎麼會zěnmehuì這樣zhèyàng? 」 “ 先生Xiānshēng, 怎么会zěnmehuì这样zhèyàng? ”

大家Dàjiā都dōu非常fēicháng害怕hàipà。 大家Dàjiā都dōu非常fēicháng害怕hàipà。

還Hái有yǒu人rén說shuō: 「 如果rúguǒ大家dàjiā都dōu是shì『 正月zhēngyuè十六shíliù火焚身huǒfénshēn』 , 那nà是不是shìbúshì正月zhēngyuè十六shíliù那一天nàyìtiān長安城Cháng’ānchéng會huì有yǒu大火dàhuǒ呢ne? 」 还Hái有yǒu人rén说shuō: “ 如果rúguǒ大家dàjiā都dōu是shì‘ 正月zhēngyuè十六shíliù火焚身huǒfénshēn’ , 那nà是不是shìbúshì正月zhēngyuè十六shíliù那一天nàyìtiān长安城Cháng’ānchéng会huì有yǒu大火dàhuǒ呢ne? ”

大家Dàjiā聽了tīngle, 都dōu害怕hàipà得de不得了bùdéliǎo! 大家Dàjiā听了tīngle, 都dōu害怕hàipà得de不得了bùdéliǎo!

東方朔Dōngfāngshuò大聲dàshēng說shuō: 「 讓Ràng我wǒ來lái算算看suànsuànkàn, 看kàn能不能néngbùnéng有yǒu解決jiějué的de方法fāngfǎ? 」 东方朔Dōngfāngshuò大声dàshēng说shuō: “ 让Ràng我wǒ来lái算算看suànsuànkàn, 看kàn能不能néngbùnéng有yǒu解决jiějué的de方法fāngfǎ? ”

然後Ránhòu他tā嘆了tànle口氣kǒuqì說shuō: 「 我Wǒ只能zhǐnéng算出suànchū正月zhēngyuè十三shísān, 那天nàtiān傍晚bàngwǎn火神huǒshén的de使者shǐzhě會huì騎著qízhe灰驢huīlǘ從cóng長安Cháng’ān西北方xīběifāng過來guòlái, 我們wǒmen必須bìxū問wèn火神huǒshén的de使者shǐzhě該gāi怎麼辦zěnmebàn。 」 然后Ránhòu他tā叹了tànle口气kǒuqì说shuō: “ 我Wǒ只能zhǐnéng算出suànchū正月zhēngyuè十三shísān, 那天nàtiān傍晚bàngwǎn火神huǒshén的de使者shǐzhě会huì骑着qízhe灰驴huīlǘ从cóng长安Cháng’ān西北方xīběifāng过来guòlái, 我们wǒmen必须bìxū问wèn火神huǒshén的de使者shǐzhě该gāi怎么办zěnmebàn。 ”

English Translation

During the time of Emperor Wu of Han, there was a young and lovely palace maid named Yuanxiao. She was very skilled at making sweet rice dumplings (tangyuan) and loved making them. There was also a man in the palace named Dongfang Shuo, who was very clever, kind, and treated people well.

One day, Dongfang Shuo was reading a book when Yuanxiao brought him a bowl of tangyuan and said, “Take a break for a bit.”

“Wow! Great, I love eating the tangyuan you make the most.” Dongfang Shuo put down his book and happily took a big bite.

“What’s wrong?” Dongfang Shuo noticed that Yuanxiao seemed unhappy, so he asked her.

“It’s nothing, I just miss home a little. But I’ll never get to see them again……” Yuanxiao said, crying.

“Don’t be sad, I will definitely find a way for you to meet your family again,” said Dongfang Shuo.

But what could he do? Dongfang Shuo thought for a long time and finally figured it out. He asked Yuanxiao’s younger sister to disguise herself as a messenger of the Fire God, while he himself went back to the streets of Chang’an to tell fortunes. But no matter what the people who came for fortune-telling asked, they all got the same answer: “On the 16th day of the first month, fire will consume your body!”

“Sir, how could this be?” Everyone was terrified. Someone also said, “If everyone gets the fortune ‘fire will consume your body on the 16th,’ does that mean there will be a great fire in Chang’an on that day?” Hearing this, everyone was extremely frightened!

Dongfang Shuo said loudly, “Let me calculate and see if there’s a solution.”

Then he sighed and said, “I can only calculate that on the 13th day of the first month, at dusk, the Fire God’s messenger will ride a grey donkey from the northwest of Chang’an. We must ask the Fire God’s messenger what to do.”

Do you like it? 🙂

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