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
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy hospital ship "Peace Ark" completed its week-long mission in Gabon and left for Cameroon on Thursday.
At 10:00 local time, the Peace Ark left the Owendo Port in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, where Gabonese officials, local residents, staff of Chinese institutions, and overseas Chinese held a seeing-off ceremony and waved goodbye to the soldiers on board.
During the seven days in Gabon, the Peace Ark used its main platform to provide medical services to incoming patients. In addition, it also dispatched expert teams and medical teams to local hospitals to offer joint medical treatment to local residents.
The medical professionals on the ship provided medical treatment to over 6,900 people, conducted auxiliary examinations for more than 3,300 people, and successfully performed 171 surgeries.
The hospital ship also performed the first ship-based robotic operation on a 71-year-old male patient in Gabon after having a confirmed diagnosis and getting the patient's consent.
When offering joint medical treatment, doctors from China and Gabon engaged in in-depth discussions on surgical skills. Gabonese doctors also observed a gallbladder removal surgery on the Peace Ark.
"The operation went smoothly. Gabonese doctors observed the whole process of our surgery. We exchanged experiences with them about promoting minimally invasive surgery in Gabon. The advanced medical facilities on the hospital ship and the professional skills of Chinese doctors are recognized by Gabonese doctors," said Doctor Pang Tao with the Mission Harmony-2024.
The Peace Ark set sail from a military port in Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province in mid-June for the Mission Harmony-2024.
During the mission, the ship will visit 13 countries in total and provide medical services to local people. It will also make port calls to France and Greece.
Chinese hospital ship 'Peace Ark' concludes visit in Gabon