The Lantern Festival also provided a good chance for lovers to meet each other. In the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1297) dynasties, unmarried girls in th boudoirs were not allowed to go out, but around this time every year they were free to appreciate lanterns outside their boudoirs and took the opportunity to meet their lovers. Echoing the delicate and romantic atmosphere, the poet Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072) of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote a poem about lovers’ trysts on this night:
Last year, the flower market was bright as day.
The moon had climbed the willow tops,
At twilight end he came my way.
At this year’s Lantern Festival,
Moonlight and lamplight shine no less.
I have not seen my last year’s love,
Tears wet the sleeves of my spring dress.
This sad and sentimental poem was an authentic depiction of how young men and women wished to pursue love freely.