Thai and Chinese communities in Bangkok are celebrating this year's Mid-Autumn Festival with activities including moonlit cruises, spicy hotpot dinners and traditional performances providing a festive experience for both locals and visitors.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, falling on Tuesday this year, is known as the "Moon Worship Festival" in Thailand. While not a public holiday, the festival is widely observed thanks to the influence of Chinese culture and the Chinese community in Thailand.
A local Chinese restaurant hosted a special celebration featuring a moonlit cruise on the Chao Phraya River, with spicy hotpot and mooncakes. The event attracted local politicians and overseas Chinese in Thailand.
"The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is when people celebrate. You know, they look at the full moon, and obviously exchange and give mooncake. And I think for some other people who are more traditional, they pray to the moon, and I guess, their ancestors," said Kenneth Tng Ken Ming, a Thai entrepreneur.
"We also have the tradition of eating mooncakes in Thailand. I'm delighted to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with everyone here today. Meeting so many Chinese friends and tourists has been a great pleasure," said Chaturon Chaisang, Thailand’s former education minister.
"It's heartening to see our Chinese brands increasingly embraced by Thai friends in Thailand. This brings a unique sense of warmth and comfort to us working abroad," said Da Hongjuan, a staff member at a Chinese enterprise in Thailand.
In Bangkok’s Chinatown, traditional mooncake shops with decades of history have been serving traditional mooncakes and Chinese pastries beloved by locals, with extended business hours until 22:00 during the festival.
The China Cultural Center in Bangkok hosted a special Mid-Autumn Festival event on Sunday, bringing together people from China and Thailand to experience traditional Chinese culture.
During the event, Chinese artists showcased intangible cultural heritage while attendees enjoyed freshly made Tianjin fried dough twists and participated in making dough figurines and fabric crafts to take home as souvenirs.
"I'm thrilled to attend this event at the China Cultural Center and sample the Tianjin snacks I've never tried before. While I've celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, this is my first time participating in such festivities in Thailand. Today’s activities are wonderfully diverse and engaging," said a local resident.
In addition to the cultural heritage displays, performers from the Tianjin Arts Troupe delivered spectacular performances, including thrilling acrobatics, a ballet dance telling traditional Chinese story and a folk music performance.
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 in China.
Thailand celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with cruises, hotpot, performances
