Chinese students gather in downtown Chicago to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

A hostess speaks during the Mid-Autumn Festival gala in Chicago, the United States, Sept. 14, 2019. More than 300 Chinese students studying in U.S. Midwest universities on Saturday night gathered at the Willis Tower downtown to celebrate the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

CHICAGO, Sept. 15 -- More than 300 Chinese students studying in U.S. Midwest universities on Saturday night gathered at the Willis Tower downtown here to celebrate the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

At the observatory on the 99th floor of the tower, the students watched the sunset and full moon, tasted Chinese foods and mooncakes, and enjoyed songs, dances and games -- activities which reminded them of their families far away on the other side of the globe.

Falling on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in China.

A Chinese student called Xing Junliang has been in Chicago for three years. He and his friend Liu Zhaochong performed "xiangsheng" or crosstalk, a traditional Chinese comedic performing art, at the Mid-Autumn Festival gala.

Before the performance, they did a lot of rehearsals. As a junior and freshman at the University of Illinois respectively, Xing and Liu have been working well as a team.

"We created the crosstalk dialogues based on traditional xiangsheng, hoping to bring the audience joy and laughter," Xing said.

After the crosstalk performance, the students sang jazz and folk songs, and performed rap and street dances, which drew loud cheers.

"One of the aims of our gala is to celebrate our traditional Chinese festival together. Through this platform, the participants can get to know each other, especially for the freshmen," said Fang Yi, president of the De Paul University's Chinese Students and Scholars Association.