Thousands of people in China are celebrating the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday watching dazzling lantern shows and vibrant traditional performances.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, is a cherished occasion for family reunions. It falls on Sept. 17 this year.
People are also celebrating the three-day holiday through diverse cultural festivities, including eating mooncakes and appreciating the moon.
In Beijing, residents were in for a treat as authorities staged a grand lantern show. Running from Sunday till the end of October, the lantern show consists of nine themed areas, with over 200 lighting sets on show.
"This is my first time to see such a big lantern show. I'm very excited. It not only has sci-tech features, but also some elements of Chinese tradition. On this special occasion, being able to enjoy this lantern show really means a lot to me," said Wang Sixiang, a local resident.
Meanwhile, Changsha City of central China's Hunan Province has organized various activities incorporating Chinese tradition and intangible cultural heritage.
At Tongguanyao resort, shadow play, an intangible cultural heritage, attracted many tourists. Travelers can also try out Nvshu, a written language developed for and by women in Hunan during ancient times.
Nvshu was usually written on paper or stitched on cloth, and the characters were supposed to make people relate the words to women's postures. Women used Nvshu to communicate with each other, record their daily life, and write songs. The female script was popular in Hunan's Jiangyong County.
"I've tried to make several traditional handcrafts," said Qu Xiangyue, a tourist.
At the same time, Chinese traditional performances, including Flower Drum Opera, bian lian (face-changing) and crosstalk, took center stage in Jinggang Ancient Town. The vibrant performances captivated tourists as they immersed in Chinese culture.
All the while, tourists cruised the Lujiang River in Jinggang, watching modern interpretations of Chinese traditional cultures along the cruise.
"I think this place is really worth visiting. It's very vibrant," said Bai Ge, another tourist.
Dazzling lantern shows, traditional performances take center stage amid Mid-Autumn Festival holiday
Dazzling lantern shows, traditional performances take center stage amid Mid-Autumn Festival holiday
Dazzling lantern shows, traditional performances take center stage amid Mid-Autumn Festival holiday
Dazzling lantern shows, traditional performances take center stage amid Mid-Autumn Festival holiday
More users of new energy vehicles (NEVs) are hitting the road during this year’s National Day holiday, as an expanded public charging network in China is significantly alleviating range anxiety for drivers.
Since Tuesday, the first day of the week-long holiday, expressways in east China's Jiangsu Province have seen daily traffic exceed 150,000 vehicles, with nearly 10 percent being NEVs. In Taizhou City, a service area reported all 12 charging piles occupied around 14:00 on Wednesday.
"The number of charging piles has doubled, and they are all fast chargers. What's even more reassuring is that the staff are always here to serve us, which really eases my range anxiety," said Meng Haoyang, a NEV driver.
Similar scenes were observed in Anhui Province, where electric vehicles are arriving for charging every ten minutes at a service area equipped with 16 functioning charging piles available around-the-clock.
"It is quite convenient to charge our vehicles here since there are staff providing full service, which reduces our waiting time," said Jiang Hao, another NEV driver.
A famous tourist attraction, the Shimen Village in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province has drawn an increasing number of visitors going on holiday via electric vehicles, thanks to the construction of a new EV charging station.
"It is very convenient. The car is parked outside being charged while we're enjoying our tour around the village. Things can be done simultaneously without delay," said a tourist Wan Qian.
Data from the State Grid's smart vehicle networking platform showed EV charging volume at expressway stations reached a record 15.58 million kilowatt-hours during the first two days of the holiday, up 56 percent from the same period last year.
Local authorities are actively fostering a user-friendly environment to accommodate the surge in EV traffic.
In Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, three mobile charging stations have been added to a service area on the busy Shenyang-Haikou Expressway to resolve drivers' range anxiety and offer more flexible charging options.
"We have prepared mobile charging piles in service areas with large traffic and charging demand for the holiday, guiding drivers to charge in an orderly and fast manner," said Zhu Zhenyuan, a staff member from the State Grid Pinghu Power Supply Company.
The coverage of charging stations has been further expanded across the country.
In Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, charging facilities are available in all service areas and tourist attractions.
In Xiaogan, Hubei Province, 600 villages and rural scenic spots have been equipped with charging stations during this holiday, greatly facilitating tourist trips and family visits for EVs owners.
Expanded charging network boosts NEV use during National Day holiday
