The Lantern Festival sparked a reservation surge for restaurants despite the cold weather and bird flu threat.

The festival, which falls on Thursday, generally marks the end of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations. It is also a time for family reunion.

Some popular medium restaurants were fully booked, while bigger restaurants said about 80 to 90 percent of their dining rooms were booked out. Both expected more diners Thursday.

"The 80 percent reservation is good although it does not parallel Chinese New Year's Day," said a restaurant manager.

"The restaurant will be full on the day of the Lantern Festival according to our experience," he said.

Poultry dishes have lost status as the "must" for festival celebrations and many restaurants have cut supplies of poultry meat.

A restaurant said sales of chicken had dropped 30 percent this week and it would promote other meats for the festival.

Meanwhile, the traditional sweet balls of glutinous rice, tangyuan, sold well in major supermarkets. The best sellers are those filled with traditional peanut and sesame paste and new varieties such as those made of green tea are also available.

Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year, the Lantern Festival takes place under a full moon and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities.

The Lantern Festival dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) more than 2,000 years ago. The round tangyuan symbolizes wholeness and unity and the craftsmanship of beautifully garnished lanterns are two major festival activities.

(Shenzhen Daily February 5, 2004)