China has been celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the country's most important traditional celebrations, with family reunions, cultural activities and delectable mooncakes, a traditional pastry that is synonymous with the harvest season.
The festival is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Sept. 17 this year.
In east China's Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, families, friends and neighbors gathered to make mooncakes and enjoy the holidays together.
Traditional folk customs displays and martial arts performances livened up the ancient culture street of Tianjin Municipality while in Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden, lanterns in the shape of the moon lit up the night sky.
The innovative use of modern technology has been a hallmark of this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, creating new and exciting experiences for holiday makers.
In central China's Jingzhou City in Hubei Province, a nighttime drone show brought to life fabled figures from Chinese mythology, such as the Moon Goddess Chang’e and her pet Jade Rabbit. A parachute display in Zhangjiajie City in Hunan Province was another new experience for many spectators out celebrating the holiday.
In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, a mid-autumn garden party drew locals who came to enjoy a wide range of folk culture activities, including lantern making, solving riddles, and playing pitch-pot, a traditional game where players throw arrows or sticks into a container.
"Three different generations of our family are celebrating the festival together today. The party has fun activities like solving riddles and dance performances. The festive atmosphere here is wonderful, and we all had a great time," said Feng Tianbao, a Chongqing resident enjoying the garden party.
In Anhui's Shexian County in east China, locals marked the festival with boat races between fishermen, while in Zhejiang's Hangzhou, people gathered by the Qiantang River to watch the spectacular tidal bore, renowned for its height and speed.
Exploring natural landscapes, including the lush forests in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the vast desert in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the stunning Tianchi Lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was another popular way to celebrate the holiday.
Chinese soldiers at military facilities across the country joined in the celebrations, attending festive markets and enjoying mooncake-making sessions in several locations, while also taking the opportunity to communicate with loved ones back at home.
China celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with family reunions, cultural pursuits
