Colorful celebrations held across China to mark Mid-Autumn Festival

People across China are marking the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival on Monday with a wide variety of celebratory events, particularly activities integrating local folk customs. The festival, celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese calendar, falls on Monday this year. As one of China's most important traditional holidays, it is a joyous time when family members appreciate the full moon together and share mooncakes, a traditional pastry, to mark the harvest season and an occasion of family reunion.

In Jingshan Village, located in Yuhang District of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, local villagers dressed up as "tea faeries" perform the traditional Chinese tea-drinking art of "Dian Cha," captivating visitors with a vibrant display of tradition and artistry. "Dian Cha" was a popular tea drinking method dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

"I find it particularly beautiful, and the tea has a wonderful aroma. Here, I can truly experience the thousand-year tea culture of Jingshan," said a tourist.

At the same time, Jingshan-style vegetarian baked mooncakes also draw many visitors to stop and taste.

"Mooncakes have a long history here in Jingshan, dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song dynasties at the earliest," said Zhou Yanru, a staff member of the Jingshan Academy in Yuhang District.

In Lushan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province, a traditional custom with over 1,800 years of history blends various folk elements such as parades, artistic performances and drum beating competitions, allowing the audience to both feel the warmth of history and experience changes of times.

In Zhongshan City of south China's Guangdong Province, six uniquely shaped dragon boats participated in a vibrant parade on the Qijiang River earlier in the day, accompanied by the powerful rhythm of drums, which attracted a large number of tourists. As night falls, folk artists would perform the highly anticipated dragon dance during a parade in celebration of the festival.

Colorful celebrations held across China to mark Mid-Autumn Festival

More than 20 films will hit Chinese screens during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday from Saturday to Monday, spanning genres from revolutionary historical dramas, realism movies to suspense thrillers, according to the China Film Administration on Thursday.

Revolutionary historical films such as Blood-Spattered Cliff, Eight Sons, Eight Soldiers, and Half Of The Quilt, will pay tribute to martyrs through the lens.

Three films -- It's OK, Now I Met Her, and Sunshine Women's Choir -- tell moving stories of love, growth, and reconciliation.

It's OK is a contemporary family comedy that follows a mother and daughter navigating their joyful yet turbulent relationship. Now I Met Her tells a rebellious teenager who gets to know his late mother through her old diary. Sunshine Women's Choir, a film from the Taiwan region of China, portrays the "perfect" maternal love of "imperfect mothers."

The suspense film Game of Identity tells the story of two people from different backgrounds who accidentally swap lives, setting off an unexpected adventure. The documentary films Seeking Nature: The Code of Life, and Missions to the Moon (Part One) explore the connection between humanity and science.

Imported films from different countries, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, Project Hail Mary, and Hoppers, will deliver spectacular cinematic experiences to audiences.

The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, falls on April 5 this year. It is a traditional Chinese festival for honoring the deceased and paying tribute to ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for Chinese citizens as they engage in outdoor activities and sightseeing.

Over 20 films expected to hit Chinese screens during Qingming Festival Holiday