Cities across China celebrated the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday with a host of cultural events featuring local folkloric essences such as lantern fair, traditional costume parade and firework display. In Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province, northwest China, a grand Mid-Autumn Parade was added to the festivities at the Tang Paradise, a cultural theme park showcasing the prosperous ancient Tang Dynasty. The highlight of the parade featured actors performing the modern adaptations of traditional dances under the moonlight, accompanied by the fanfare of Dongcang drum music, a Chinese intangible cultural heritage. Visitors, dressed in traditional Tang Dynasty attire, participated in lantern riddles, released river lanterns, and enjoyed night parades through the scenic park.
In Rongguofu Mansion scenic spot in Zhengding County of Hebei Province, north China, where the classic Chinese novel "Dream of Red Mansions" was filmed as a popular TV series, a grand series of Mid-Autumn activities took center stage. The events, featuring immersive theatrical performances of iconic scenes from the novel, attracted numerous visitors to explore.
In Yunyang County of Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, various cultural heritage experiences are prepared to showcase the traditional Mid-Autumn festivities. Families, young and old, gathered to make mooncakes by hand, enjoying not only their handmade desserts but also China's traditional culture. Meanwhile, a unique lantern-making workshop was also a big hit. Under the guidance of staff, participants crafted delicate lanterns and floated them on water, praying for happiness and prosperity.
In Shaoxing City of Zhejiang Province, east China, a grand gala took place in Yuecheng District, highlighting local culture of the Grand Canal and poetic lifestyles. Attracting over 1,000 participants, the event shared stories of family values and social customs along the canal, and nearly 200 poems on the theme of the Great Canal collected from across the country.
Cities across China hold diverse cultural events to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
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
