Many tourists are taking a traditional "moon boat" to appreciate the picturesque night view of the famous West Lake in Hangzhou City of east China's Zhejiang Province on "moon boats" to celebrate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival falling on Monday.
The "moon boat" takers can enjoy sceneries as the wooden tourism boats, illuminated by moon-shaped lanterns, sail through the "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon", one of the most famous and iconic landmarks of the West Lake Cultural Landscape inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
They can also enjoy Chinese classical performing arts like guqin music, Yue opera and dance show as they sail through the stages installed on the lake.
The "moon boat" sightseeing program on the West Lake opens from Sunday to Tuesday.
"I saw the typical sceneries of a watertown in south China, which is totally different from the desert sceneries in my hometown of Xinjiang. The moon and the water here make the night view very soft. The members of the whole family sit on the boat enjoying the performance and the full moon in the sky. It's really a very romantic and warm atmosphere," said Ma Wudi, a tourist from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China more than 3,800 kilometers away.
To the Chinese people, the Mid-autumn Festival means family reunion and harmony. The festival is observed on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Monday (October 6).
"It is indeed a Chinese style romance. Family members get together when the moon is full in the sky. I hope people get together to enjoy a happy and peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival," said Wu Qiongru, a tourist from east China's coastal province of Fujian.
Tourists enjoy perfect night sceneries, performances on lake "moon boats" in east China's Hangzhou
