2026 Mid-Autumn Festival gala to be held in Huainan: CMG

The 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala will be held in Huainan City of east China's Anhui Province, continuing its focus on combining cultural programing with tourism and local heritage, the China Media Group (CMG) announced on Tuesday.

Located in the Huaihe River Basin, one of the origins of Chinese civilization and Chinese characters, Huainan is an important birthplace of Huaihe River civilization.

"We hope that, through the lens of CMG, Chinese people around the world can enjoy the bright moon over Huaihe River and feel the warmth of Huainan," said Zhao Xiaoming, director of the Publicity Department of Huainan.

This year's gala will highlight Huaihe River civilization, showcasing Huainan's classic cultural traditions and its modern urban identity.

"I am a loyal viewer of the Mid-Autumn Festival gala, and I believe it can be made magnificent year after year," said Shu Nan, a renowned music composer.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the night when the moon reaches its fullest and brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese traditional calendar, symbolizing family reunion. The festival falls on Sept 25 this year.

2026 Mid-Autumn Festival gala to be held in Huainan: CMG

China's one-year loan prime rate (LPR), a market-based benchmark lending rate, came in at 3 percent on Wednesday, the same as the previous month.

The over-five-year LPR, on which many lenders base their mortgage rates, also remained unchanged from the previous reading of 3.5 percent, according to the National Interbank Funding Center.

LPRs reflect the level of financing costs for households and businesses. Lower rates will ease borrowing burdens and boost investment and consumption.

Interest rates on newly issued loans in China have remained relatively low. Data showed that in April 2026, the weighted average interest rate for new corporate loans was around 3.1 percent, about 20 basis points lower than a year earlier, while that for new personal housing loans was 3.1 percent, 6 basis points lower than the same period of 2025.

China will continue to implement a more proactive fiscal policy and adopt an appropriately accommodative monetary policy in 2026, this year's government work report noted.

China's loan prime rates remain unchanged