Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated across world

Photo taken on Sept. 10, 2022 shows lanterns celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Chu Chen/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A taste of mooncake, a taste of China. As the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Saturday, overseas Chinese and their local friends joined in activities to celebrate the festival worldwide.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, has been observed by people of Chinese origin for thousands of years, usually marked by family reunions, a full moon viewing and the consumption of mooncakes, a traditional pastry dedicated to the festival.

In Australia, this year's celebrations started as early as Saturday noon with festive shows, such as chic Chinese music, martial arts and moon-praising rituals, staged at Meat Market, an iconic state heritage with an over 200-year history in Melbourne.

During the event, participants wore the traditional clothing "hanfu" of the Han ethnic group, picked up a rabbit lantern at a streetside stall and had a calligrapher write down some moon-related blessings.

"Many locals came to my booth, asking me if I could translate their names into Chinese and write it down," Dongdong, a Chinese calligraphy artist, told Xinhua at the event.

Yet Australia is not the earliest place to celebrate the festival outside China. On Friday in Vientiane, a Chinese movie show and the Mid-Autumn Festival evening were held by the China Cultural Center in Laos.

The attendants enjoyed an exceptional Chinese-Lao bilingual art performance and were also introduced to Chinese calligraphy, mooncake-making and Chinese tea.

On Friday night, hundreds of Chinese nationals living in Nigeria celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in Lagos with song and dance amid a copious flow of food and beverages. About 500 people attended the five-and-a-half-hour gala at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

Taking part in a traditional Chinese festival celebration has been a must-try for many Chinese culture lovers in various countries.

At the Chinese American Museum in the U.S. capital Washington D.C., many Chinese Americans and other ethnic groups enjoyed activities like tasting mooncakes and different Chinese cuisines and sipping tea. Young children enjoyed making craft lanterns and listening to stories about ancient Chinese tradition.

On Saturday night in New York City, a concert -- "2022 Golden Night Concert" -- was held at the Lincoln Center, featuring a lineup of Chinese and Western artists.

"The concert was beautiful and unique ... it makes my day happy today," Stanley Strychacki, an 85-year-old New York resident, told Xinhua after watching the 1.5-hour dance and music performance, including many traditional Chinese music pieces.

In San Fan Con square in Havana's Chinatown, a competition focused on making traditional Chinese mooncakes attracted many people.

"Since ancient times, the Chinese people have had a special relationship with the moon. We are having a lot of fun eating mooncakes," said Yorbelis Rosell, Cuban director of Confucius Institute in Havana.

At the popular plaza decorated with red lanterns in the Cuban capital, participants enjoyed Chinese table games, traditional painting and calligraphy exhibitions, martial arts demonstrations, musical performances and massage sessions.

Chinese language student Camila Feliz, 23, told Xinhua that this was an excellent opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture and traditions. "It is a good moment to express solidarity, support, and a sense of togetherness," she said. "This festival sends a strong message of peace."