Part 2 of CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala offers blend of tradition, modernity

The second part of the China Media Group (CMG)'s 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala aired at the prime viewing time on Tuesday night offers a stunning blend of tradition, modernity and heartfelt emotion, with more than 10 captivating performances.

The annual gala broadcast, also known as "Qiuwan" in Chinese, was recorded in Shenyang City of northeast China's Liaoning Province, a 2,300-year-old city boasting three world cultural heritage sites and over 1,500 historical and cultural sites. The city is also one of the most well-known industrial cities in China.

Themed "Moonlight", the second part of the show is infused with traditional Chinese culture and the local characteristics and charm of Shenyang, such as shadow puppetry and errenzhuan -- a folksy two-person stand-up comedy form native to northeast China.

Among the second part's highlights, pop star Li Yuchun performs a duet with a child, in tribute to the nurturing and love of mothers. Singer Tan Weiwei, alongside Olympic champions Wu Dajing and Deng Yawen delivers a wonderful performance dedicated to all those who chase their dreams.

Meanwhile, Hungarian pianist Balazs Havasi joins Chinese performers for a stirring musical performance, sharing a message of warmth and romance with the audience around the world.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, is a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, as well as an occasion for family and friend reunions to eat the traditional festive pastry of mooncakes and appreciate the moon. This year, the festival fell on Tuesday (Sept 17).

Part 2 of CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala offers blend of tradition, modernity

China saw nearly 13.1 million inbound and outbound trips being made during the country's seven-day National Day holiday rush which ended Monday, according to National Immigration Administration (NIA).

Data from the NIA showed that border inspection agencies across China facilitated a total of 13.098 million inbound and outbound trips, averaging 1.871 million per day, a 25.8 percent increase compared to the same period of last year.

Among the total trips, residents from the  mainland made 7.589 million inbound and outbound trips, up 33.2 percent from from the same period in 2023.

Meanwhile, around 4.5 million entry and exit trips were made by residents from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,  the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Taiwan region,  a 13.2 percent year-on-year increase.

A total of 1.014 million trips were made by foreigners, a 37.2 percent rise from the same period of last year.

The NIA noted that border ports nationwide had taken active measures to forecast and control entry-exit traffic, operate sufficient checkpoints for travelers and effectively mitigate the impact of extreme weather on the customs clearance processes.

China handles nearly 13.1 mln entry, exit trips during National Day holiday