Hundreds of people gathered in Manchester,UK,on Sunday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's biggest celebrations.
The event saw vibrant dance performances, martial arts and games, with delicious mooncakes also gifted to visitors.
On top of the fun-filled celebrations, the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival also holds a deeper meaning of connection and family reunions.
"Family is a very important part of our lives. So I'm very proud that we have a festival that celebrates family reunion, to remind each other we should be with our family," said Zhang Keyu, a performer at this year's event.
Local visitors spoke highly of the spirit of unity enshrined in the festival.
"We need to have these society relationships, and people to people relationships. So, I think these kinds of events are good," said Sol Stappard, one of the visitors.
"I love the performances, especially the dance. That was very vibrant. And the little parade that we all did. And the fact you get to join in as well, it really shows that it's a great community," said Vivien Csonka, another visitor.
Although the Mid-Autumn Festival is a Chinese festival, it's making a mark in the UK.
"I think this is a very very good occasion for people here in this city and the country, the UK, for people to know this Mid-Autumn Festival, the origins, all the festivities, the meanings. I think this is good for people in this country to understand Chinese culture and Chinese tradition," said Tang Rui, Chinese Consul General in Manchester.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, on Sept. 17 this year.
Manchester celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with vibrant activities
Manchester celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with vibrant activities
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday led a central delegation on a visit to Shihezi, a city under the 8th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), met local people and carried out inspections.
He led the delegation on a visit to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Reclamation Museum, which shows China's revolutionary undertaking of building the city of Shihezi and reclaiming land for farming in what was once a sparsely-populated desert. At the museum, He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pointed out that people must carry forward the Corps' spirit, understand the connotations of the times, put resources related to the Party's heritage to great use, and pass down revolutionary traditions.
He said that the Corps should draw motivation from its own seven-decade history, and encourage officials and workers to stay dedicated to working and serving in Xinjiang, and make new and greater contributions.
At Xinjiang Tianye (Group), a state-owned enterprise which is affiliated to the XPCC, He listened to reports on the company's technological innovation and new industrialization development.
The vice premier said that the Corps should adhere to innovation-driven development, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and accelerate a high-end, intelligent and green transition.
He urged the Corps to focus on clean and efficient use of coal, prioritize environmental protection and energy conservation, strengthen leading enterprises, and work on landmark projects in the modern coal chemical industry, to cultivate new momentum for industrial science and technology in pursuit of high-quality development.
Chinese vice premier urges promotion of Xinjiang's high-quality development during inspection tour in Shihezi
