Athletes celebrate Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival at Hangzhou Asian Games

HANGZHOU, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- "In Singapore, we also eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, so I will definitely try some here," said Tan Selene, an athlete from Singapore.

For the bridge player, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which fell on Friday, was the first one she did not spend with her family, because she was here, thousands of miles away from home, for the Hangzhou Asian Games.

But it didn't sadden Tan at all. In fact, her heart was much warmed by what had been prepared at the athletes' village, especially the mooncakes -- a main component of the festival which focuses on family reunion.

Taste a mooncake, light up a handmade lantern, or watch a lion dance. These customs were indispensible for Tan and other athletes from some 45 Asian countries and regions attending the Games. And for those athletes coming from other parts of the world, spending time in an athletes' village adorned with festive decorations was a good opportunity to better understand the Chinese culture.

The Mid-Autumn Festival events were staged in the athletes' village, where athletes could enjoy wonderful dances, drama, folk music, magic tricks, and acrobatics, with the moon as the main theme of the event.

"I like all the shows, and each country has its distinctive culture. Through the event, I feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture and I wish you all a happy Mid-Autumn Festival," Afghan delegation official Hamid Rahimi said.

Hanfu costumes, a style of clothing traditionally worn by the Han people, were provided for the athletes to wear. The Hanfu experience impressed many athletes. "Hanfu is so beautiful, and I rushed here to be the first one to try it on," Indonesian shooting athlete Monica Daryanti said.

Organizers also prepared mooncakes for the athletes. Indian badminton athlete Pusarla Venkata Sindhu even got the chance to make mooncakes herself.

"It's really nice. I wish everyone and every Chinese can enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival, eat lots of mooncakes and have fun," she said.

Oksana Chusovitina, the 48-year-old gymnastics legend from Uzbekistan, said Friday in a press conference that she had visited the West Lake and enjoyed its stunning beauty, and tasted some delicious mooncakes. "They had a very good flavor. I liked them a lot," she said. What's more, she "wished everyone good health, always keep smiling and be positive about life."

At the Main Media Center, the Mid-Autumn special cultural interactive experience also attracted many athletes. Ebrahim Karbalaeiakbar, an official from Iran, was deeply captivated by the festival spirit. He tried to capture every exciting moment as he closely followed the Hanfu performance team.

"I got to know that Chinese would honor the moon and express good wishes to their loved ones on the festival, and everyone here was happy, so was I," he said.

"I will continue to work hard in a happy mood," Gu Min Sung, a South Korean reporter for TV CHOSUN, told Xinhua.

Gu had a busy day at the West Lake International Golf &Country Club in Hangzhou on Friday as matches continued at the Asian Games.

Although it was a little regrettable that he could not reunite with his family during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the South Korean reporter came to China representing his country with the aim of telling his people all about the Asian Games.

"There are many people cheering for us on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we will keep going," South Korean golf player Sungjae Im told reporters after a game on Friday.

"The Asian Games are not only a passionate sports event, but also a cultural event featuring exchange and integration," said Wei Hong, deputy director-in-charge of the Asian Games Village Operations Center of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

"We also feel that through the interaction via sports and culture, everyone is connected heart to heart for a promising future," she added.