Tuesday marks the traditional Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar and an important occasion for family reunions.

The festival is believed to have originated more than 2,000 years ago, a demonstration of how important the family and family ties are to the Chinese people throughout the centuries.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has on many occasions talked about the significance of the family, stressing integrating the love for the family with the love for the country and incorporating the pursuit of personal goals into the realization of the Chinese Dream.

The following are some highlights of his remarks in this regard:

-- The family is the basic unit of society and the first school that we attend in life.

-- Regardless of how the times change, or how our lives are transformed, we must remain committed to making our families better, laying emphasis on life, learning and conduct in the home.

-- The Chinese nation always places a high value on family, just as the maxim goes, "The root of the world is in the state; the root of the state is in the family." A family in harmony prospers.

-- Filial piety at home and loyalty to the country are among the fine traditions of the Chinese nation.

-- The prosperity and strength of the country and the rejuvenation of the nation must be ultimately reflected in the happiness of myriads of families and the continuous improvement of the lives of hundreds of millions of people.