BEIJING / SHANGHAI - China has seen a boom in the sale of handmade yuanxiao, glutinous rice dumplings traditionally eaten at Lantern Festival, in the run-up to the celebration, which falls on Monday this year.

"The shop assistant just told me that all the yuanxiao for the whole day have been sold out, so I may come here tomorrow to try again," said a man surnamed Zhang in Beijing. All the dumplings at the famous Beijing snack shop Zhang visited were sold out by noon.

The sweet and glutinous treat is called yuanxiao in the north. In the south people have tangyuan, which are slightly different in size, stuffing and making process.

The treat is an important part of the Lantern Festival celebration, which also includes making lanterns, solving riddles posted on lanterns and performing lion dances.

"All the yuanxiao had been sold out by 10:30 am, and we don't know if there will be more available tomorrow," said Yang Yali, a worker at snack shop Beijing Daoxiangcun.

Centenarian Huang Jingyuan shows she is still a dab hand at making tangyuan, glutinous rice balls, in Hefei in East China's Anhui province, on Sunday, the day before the Lantern Festival. Savoring the taste of tangyuan is part of the tradition of the festival. Photo by Han Suyuan / China News Service