Various activities have been organized across southern China, including Sichuan, Chongqing and Jiangxi, to celebrate the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which starts on Wednesday.
Renowned as the "Home of Sichuan Opera," Baishiyi Town in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has planned numerous cultural and tourism events centered around the intangible cultural heritage of the Sichuan Opera.
At the Sichuan Opera Art Center in the Chongqing High-tech Industrial Development Zone, two folk performances are being staged each day during the holiday, featuring captivating displays of face-changing, water sleeve dances, and excerpts from traditional operas.
In the interactive experience area, tourists and locals can craft traditional fans, lanterns, mooncakes, and opera masks under the guidance of Sichuan Opera inheritors.
"It is the first time I've learned to put an opera mask on a mooncake. I can learn about the traditional culture and bring back home a special souvenir. I think it's quite meaningful," said Zhao Feng, a local resident.
In Deyang County, neighboring Sichuan Province, performers from 11 districts or counties in eastern Sichuan on Sunday staged a delightful performance that incorporated scenes of villagers' daily life and work through dances, songs, and operas, showcasing their rural culture.
In east China's Jiangxi Province, the Tengwang Pavilion in the provincial capital of Nanchang is putting on a series of interactive activities for the holiday, including a collective writing event and a poem-reciting competition. An immersive traditional market has been organized, blending shopping, dining, and entertainment, allowing visitors to fully experience the elegance of ancient culture.
During the holiday, the scenic area of Tengwang Pavilion is expected to attract over 150,000 visitor trips.
Originally built in 653 A.D. by Prince Teng, the brother of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) emperor, the pavilion has undergone 29 reconstructions. It gained national fame due to the ornate poem "Preface to Tengwang Pavilion" by Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo.
Chinese celebrate National Day holiday with colorful cultural activities
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
