As the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, people across China are busy making creative mooncakes with local features, blending cultural symbols and characteristic flavors.
The festival, celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese calendar, falls on Oct 6 this year. As one of China's most important traditional holidays, it is a joyous time when family members come together, appreciate the full moon and share mooncakes, a traditional pastry, to mark the harvest season and an occasion of family reunion. In Yuanjiang County of southwest China's Yunnan Province, the craft of making big buckwheat mooncakes has been passed down for more than 70 years. The dough, made from wheat and buckwheat flour, wraps a filling of mixed nuts, ham, red bean paste and brown sugar.
For locals, the familiar taste is not only a festive treat, but also a warm memory of family life and time spent together.
In Jiangmen, south China's Guangdong Province, bakers draw inspiration from the traditional Lion Dance and Spring Chant, both listed as provincial-level intangible cultural heritage. They have designed molds featuring lion heads, wooden dummies and classic Spring Chant moves, and filled mooncakes with matcha or pineapple-flavored stuffing to attract consumers, particularly young people. "The Lion Dance and Spring Chant patterns are really creative. I'm buying them for my kids so that they can learn about our local traditional cultures," said a customer named Zhang Huixian.
In Zaozhuang City, east China's Shandong Province, an innovative creation mixing the region's famed spicy chicken dish with the artistry of flower-shaped steamed buns has led to a kind of spicy chicken flower bun mooncakes,
"I'd like to buy a box of the mooncakes to gift my relatives and friends from out of town. It looks beautiful," said a Zaozhuang resident named Wang Lingli.
In Xiyang County, north China's Shanxi Province, a hands-on mooncake workshop brought the festival spirit to life. Locals gather to knead dough, shape fillings and press molds, reviving traditional techniques while adding a personal touch to the celebration.
China embraces Mid-Autumn Festival with local creative mooncakes
China embraces Mid-Autumn Festival with local creative mooncakes
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on Monday that the relationship between China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stands at a new historical starting point.
Xi arrived in the DPRK capital of Pyongyang earlier on Monday to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.
Delivering a speech at a welcome banquet hosted by Kim, Xi pointed out that China and the DPRK, linked by mountains and rivers and sharing a common future, have seen their traditional friendship passed down across generations and grow ever stronger over time through the test of the evolving international landscape.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-DPRK Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, and the China-DPRK relationship stands at a new historical starting point, Xi said, noting that he has reached important consensus with Kim during his visit.
From the strategic perspective of the future and destiny of socialism, both leaders have agreed to seize the general trend of the times, respond to the shared aspirations of the two peoples, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, enhance people-to-people bonds, promote the high-level development of China-DPRK relations, jointly open up brighter prospects for the socialist cause of both countries, and contribute to the continuous progress of human society, Xi said.
The successful convening of the Ninth Congress of the WPK this year has made strategic plans and major arrangements for the long-term development of the Party and the country's cause, ushering in a new period of comprehensive development of the DPRK's socialist cause, Xi said.
As good neighbors, good friends and good comrades, the Chinese side sincerely wishes that, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the WPK headed by General Secretary Kim, the DPRK people will successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set by the Ninth Congress of the WPK and make constant new achievements in the socialist cause of the DPRK, Xi said.
On behalf of the WPK, the government and the people of the DPRK, Kim extended the warmest welcome to Xi on his visit. Kim said that Pyongyang was filled with an atmosphere of friendship on this special day as the DPRK's Party, government and people warmly welcomed their most distinguished guest.
Noting that Xi's first overseas trip of the year had brought him to the DPRK, Kim said this fully demonstrated the great importance Xi attached to developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, and constituted the most valuable support for the DPRK's socialist cause.
Noting the meeting with Xi came nine months after their previous meeting, Kim said that during this meeting, they reached important consensus on further advancing DPRK-China relations with new contemporary connotations in light of new changing circumstances, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, which will surely accelerate the development of the DPRK-China friendship with profound historical traditions, and contribute to peace and stability in the region and the world.
The DPRK people take heartfelt joy in the remarkable achievements made by the brotherly Chinese people, Kim said, expressing belief that under the leadership of the CPC with Xi at its core, the great Chinese people will surely create greater achievements in building a great modern socialist country in all respects, realizing the Second Centenary Goal, and completing the new journey toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi says China-DPRK ties stand at new historical starting point
