Eating glutinous rice balls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month originated from a palace maid named Yuanxiao during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

It is said that during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a maid named "Yuanxiao" who stayed in the palace for many years. She missed her parents and shed tears all day long. Dongfang Shuo was determined to help her, so he lied to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the God of Fire was ordered by the Jade Emperor to burn Chang'an on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The only way to escape the disaster was to have the "Yuanxiao girl" do a lot of fire work on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. He loved to eat glutinous rice balls and all the subjects lit up lanterns to worship them. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty announced that the "Yuanxiao" girl finally met her family. After that, the Lantern Festival was formed, and the custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the Lantern Festival also spread at this time.