Mid-Autumn Festival gala fosters shared heritage, emotional cross-Strait connection

The 2025 Cross-Strait Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, themed "The Moon Shines Brightest Over Our Homeland", was successfully held on Sunday evening in Dongshan County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province.

Centered on the concept of "same roots, same origin, shared homeland," the event drew on Dongshan's distinctive natural scenery and cultural heritage to stage performances that evoked emotional resonance and collective memory among people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the global Chinese community.

The gala unfolded in three chapters - Moonlight, Emotional Bonds, and Dreams Fulfilled. It opened with young soprano Wang Li performing "Moon Over the Sea," setting a tone of longing for home. Fisherman-poet Xu Haiqin from Aojiao Village recited his piece "A Hold Full of Catch," capturing the spirit of perseverance in Dongshan and conveying a deep sense of cultural belonging.

One of the founders of Taiwan's campus folk music movement, Yeh Chia-hsiu, performed the classic "Grandma's Penghu Bay," stirring shared memories across the Strait. Renowned Taiwan singer Yeh Chi-tien followed with "Those Who Strive Will Win," highlighting the common spirit of determination among Minnan people.

"Every festival is very important to us Chinese people. I'm very happy that at several Mid-Autumn Festival galas I've been able to stand here and sing 'Grandma's Penghu Bay' and 'Country Road' to Taiwan. It's a truly wonderful feeling," said Yeh.

"This gala is not only a cultural exchange, but also a resonance of the heart. May such moonlight shine often, and may such reunions endure," said Tsai Ho-li, a compatriot from Taiwan.

Mid-Autumn Festival gala fosters shared heritage, emotional cross-Strait connection

The United States' international trade deficit in goods and services was 57.3 billion U.S. dollars in February, up 4.9 percent from January, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday.

The country's imports of goods and services increased by 4.3 percent month on month to 372.1 billion U.S. dollars in February, as the surging demand for artificial intelligence and data center construction significantly boosted imports of products such as computers and semiconductors.

U.S. exports of goods and services in February rose by 4.2 percent month on month to 314.8 billion U.S. dollars, mainly driven by increases in exports of non-monetary gold and natural gas.

US trade deficit up 4.9 percent in February