Overseas Chinese marks Mid-Autumn Festival

NEW YORK - China's Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, which fell on Sept 13 this year, has brought joy where it was celebrated by overseas Chinese communities around the world on Friday and over the weekend.

In the United States, a variety of Mid-Autumn festivities have eased the homesickness of the Chinese communities. In New York, Illinois, California and elsewhere, festival-themed carnivals, galas and markets started from last weekend. Streets in Chinatowns were closed, cruise ships were rented, and top floors of landmark buildings were reserved for get-togethers.

In the east African country of Ethiopia, the celebrations of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival has coincided with the country's New Year. The double festivals have provided a moment for both Ethiopians and Chinese expats to celebrate the two events under a single roof, enjoying the two countries' rich cultural and historical values.

On Saturday, Ethiopian and Chinese staff from the local office of a Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Company, gathered in Addis Ababa to mark the two events. Attending the joint celebrations, Chinese and Ethiopian colleagues enjoyed the festive ambience by exchanging gifts and learning each other's language.

"We celebrated our New Year and the Chinese Mid-Autumn cultural festival together. The ceremony was unique as both events are related to each other," Selam Simegn, assistant to the Manger at the construction office's Ethiopia branch said.

"The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival manifests the coming of new harvest season as the full moon glows," said Simegn, an Ethiopian, who added that she is happy to taste the mooncakes baked by her Chinese colleagues.

In Turkey's capital city Ankara, celebrations events took place from Saturday to Tuesday in the Hilton Hotel and Atakule, a tower which is one of the landmarks of the city.

Attendants of the festival had the pleasure of seeing traditional Chinese folk art related to food, such as dough modeling, sugar painting and music. A face mask changing dance was also presented and very much appreciated by the crowd.

"This is real art. I marveled at what I'm seeing. I called my staff to see how this gentleman is presenting this centuries-old craft," said a Turkish chef, Erhan Kahraman, in front of the stand where a Chengdu master was meticulously exhibiting his sugar painting craftsmanship.

Xinhua