The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival symbolizing reunion, happiness, and prosperity, has been celebrated globally, fostering cultural exchanges and strengthening the bonds between Chinese communities and locals in various countries. The festival, held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, has been embraced by many as a symbol of cultural unity and a bridge between East and West.
In the United States, the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. organized a Homecoming and Reunion song concert for Chinese compatriots in Taiwan, attracting a large number of participants. The event featured performances such as the solo singing of Homeland Longing and the erhu solo of May You Live Long, which evoked a strong sense of homesickness among the audience. The concert reached its climax when everyone joined in singing My Chinese Heart. The attendees expressed their longing for family reunions and their desire for national unity, as well as their commitment to promoting exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan and to fostering stable development of Sino-American relations.
In Brazil, the Chinese community in São Paulo organized a two-day Reunion Mid-Autumn grand carnival on the busy 3rd of May Street. The event showcased a variety of performances, including dragon and lion dances, martial arts, and folk music. The highlight of the event was the 105.91-meter dragon dance, which set a new record for the longest dragon in Brazil. The carnival attracted nearly 300,000 people, and the participants believed that the event helped to promote cultural exchanges and deepen mutual understanding between the Chinese and Brazilian people.
In the UK, the Chinese community in London organized a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration that drew a large crowd of Chinese expatriates, Londoners, and tourists. The event featured traditional Chinese performances, such as Peking opera, martial arts, lion dances, and classical and ethnic music programs. The performances were followed by contemporary dance, bands, and choral performances, which showcased a colorful blend of different cultural backgrounds and skin colors. The audience was captivated by the vibrant cultural feast and gave a standing ovation.
In Botswana, the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival Temple Fair in the capital, Gaborone, was bustling with activity. The lion dance opened the ceremony, followed by dance and choral performances by children from China and Botswana. The drum performance of Jing Zhong Bao Guo brought the event to a climax. The fair also featured stalls selling Chinese handicrafts and food, and the Confucius Institute at Botswana University conducted interactive activities, such as calligraphy displays and Chinese language teaching. Many local people said that this was their first time experiencing the charm of Chinese culture up close and hope for more such events in the future.
In Morocco, the Together at This Moment Mid-Autumn Festival series was held in Rabat, the capital. The performance by actors from Sichuan featured traditional Chinese music, such as Blossoms and Full Moon, May You Live Long, and Birds Flying to the Phoenix, as well as Sichuan opera face-changing and acrobatics. The rich Chinese style of the performance received a standing ovation from the audience. The audience member, Rashid Yazami, said, Both the Chinese and Moroccan people love the romance represented by the moon. Today’s performance has given me great pleasure.
In Namibia, the Henan International Nanjing Company and the China Aid Medical Team visited the SOS Children’s Village in Windhoek, the capital, to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with more than 50 orphans. The children village director, Karina Sipenga, said, This is the first time I and the children have celebrated a traditional Chinese festival with friends from China. The children will remember every uncle and aunt from China.
In Singapore, the Chinese Cultural Center organized a Together at This Moment Mid-Autumn Poetry Garden Party, attracting more than 200 participants, including local cultural and art celebrities, school students, and Chinese expatriates. The event featured the recitation of ancient Chinese poetry by Singapore students and professional Chinese actors. The atmosphere was filled with the rich cultural essence of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In Vietnam, a cross-border Mid-Autumn Festival Gala was held in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Artists and performance groups from China and Vietnam performed together, singing songs of friendship and dancing to the Blossoms and Full Moon dance.
In Belarus, Chinese culture enthusiasts recited poems with the moon theme at the Belarusian Chinese Cultural Center in Minsk. In Romania, students from the University of Bucharest and the Transylvania University Confucius Institute recited poems such as Longing for the Moon and Quiet Night Thoughts. In Malta, the Chinese Cultural Center in Vallet
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