Supermoon to coincide with China's Mid-Autumn 'Mooncake' Festival

A magnificent supermoon will illuminate night skies across China during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, adding an enchanting dimension to this traditional lunar-centric holiday.

The festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, is a cherished occasion to enjoy time with loved ones and eat mooncakes -- a round pastry whose shape symbolizes the full moon.

Moon-gazing is also a traditional practice during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Serendipitously, the three-day festival this year has been graced by a spectacular supermoon, with the best viewing time expected to be on the night of September 17th, the festival's main evening.

According to the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the moon will appear most beautiful when it first rises above the horizon. At that time, the moonlight, scattered through the atmosphere, will take on a warm, golden hue before the night has fully descended, allowing for a picturesque view where the moonlight softly blends in the shades of evening.

Li Ning, a meteorological analyst at the China Meteorological Administration said it was a pity that several parts of the country may be unable to see the supermoon due to clouds or even rain, but she celebrated the fact that much of eastern China will enjoy fine conditions for moon gazing.

"In Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Anhui, the skies are expected to clear on Mid-Autumn Festival, just the day following the typhoon, ensuring that the moon-gazing activities on the night of the festival will be unaffected," said Li Ning, a meteorological analyst at the China Meteorological Administration.

The combination of a supermoon and generally favorable weather conditions promises a stunning celestial display, making it a perfect opportunity for Chinese families to enjoy the time-honored tradition of moon-gazing.

Supermoon to coincide with China's Mid-Autumn 'Mooncake' Festival

Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks, with recent tests showing common pathogens and no evidence of new infectious diseases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday.

At its first press briefing of 2026, the commission reported that flu activity nationwide remains moderate at the moment.

According to Xin Li, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, respiratory samples collected from sentinel hospitals indicated that the influenza virus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 27.4 percent of cases, followed by respiratory syncytial virus at 8.8 percent and rhinovirus at 5.7 percent.

"Influenza activity in China has declined for four consecutive weeks and remains at a moderate level overall. Analysis of nationwide fever clinic consultations, influenza-like illness cases at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing shows that all detected pathogens are known common ones, with no evidence of unknown pathogens or new infectious diseases," Xin told the press.

Data from sentinel hospitals indicated flu activity was falling across provincial-level regions, while reports of school outbreaks dropped for five consecutive weeks. Laboratory tests showed that 97.3 percent of positive influenza samples were H3N2 subtype viruses.

China flu activity declines for fourth week, no new pathogens detected: official