Tangyuan and Yuanxiao are the must-have snacks during the Lantern Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. They are both round sticky dumplings with fillings, but there are also distinct differences, with Yuanxiao more popular in northern China and Tangyuan in the south.

The black sesame seed filling is cut into small pieces. (Photo source: China News Service/Liu Xin)

A cook prepares Yuanxiao with black sesame seed as a filling.(Photo source: China News Service/Liu Xin)