The dragon dancing performance at the opening ceremony of the 17th Mawei-Matsu Lantern Festival that opened in Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian province on Feb 15. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 17th Mawei-Matsu Lantern Festival opened in Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian province on Feb 15, five days ahead of Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb 19 this year and marks the curtain-closer for Spring Festival.

Every year, people in Mawei district in Fujian and Matsu Island in Taiwan share the holiday spirit by launching a lantern show together and exchanging lanterns across the Strait.

This gesture of cross-Strait friendship was initiated in 2003. It was the first national intangible cultural heritage co-applied for by the mainland and Taiwan.