As the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday approach, both cities and villages across China are immersing themselves in vibrant celebrations.
In Beijing, festive lanterns have been lit up, and street trees are draped with fireworks-shaped lights, creating a vibrant, glowing holiday atmosphere.
At the Qianmen commercial street, a historic pedestrian shopping and dining area located just south of Tiananmen Square, a large lantern designed in the shape of an old pavilion has attracted numerous residents and tourists to take photos. Visitors can gaze up at the splendid caisson ceiling while walking beneath it.
"We have added Chinese-style performances and Beijing-flavored shows, creating a consumption-oriented street that integrates lighting and entertainment," said Li Po, project manager of the Qianmen commercial street.
In Xihu Lijia Village of east China's Jiangxi Province, residents are following traditional customs by burning pagodas to celebrate family reunions and a bountiful harvest.
In the square of the ancient village, which boasts a history of over 600 years, three fire pagodas, each towering five meters high, have been constructed using 3,000 red bricks apiece. They are hollow inside and can be stuffed with firewood. Villagers ignite the fire with dried bean stalks before adding large pieces of firewood to the structures. As flames subside, villagers use long poles to poke the base, sending sparks soaring into the air.
"I drove here specially with my family to witness the burning pagoda. It is very spectacular, and I fully felt the charm of our traditional folk customs and the harmony of rural life," said Rao Lejing, a tourist.
Celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday this year, with a public holiday extending three days through Sunday. Meanwhile, China's National Day holiday spans from October 1 to October 7, known as the Golden Week, during which millions travel across the country.
Cities, villages across China embrace vibrant celebrations for Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day
The Shenzhou-23 crew aboard China's Tiangong space station sent heartfelt Mid-Autumn Festival greetings via video from 400 kilometers above Earth on Friday.
This marks the fourth Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated aboard Tiangong since the completion of China's space station.
"Right now, we're celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival at China's space station. We miss our families all the more on each festival day. Though the Earth is far away, our hearts are always beating in sync with our motherland and closely connected with the people of our country," said the commander Zhu Yangzhu.
Zhu, who is now on his second space journey, and is the first commander among China's third batch of astronauts. This also marks the second time that he is spending the Mid-Autumn Festival in space.
"Carrying out the mission in space means we miss out on the warmth of family reunion, yet we gain more perseverance from sticking together as a team. Dear family members, if you see a shining 'star' streaking across the night sky, that is Tiangong, and that is me missing you," said astronaut Zhang Zhiyuan, who is undertaking his first space flight journey.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival, is one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals, for family reunion and happiness with the full moon.
Lai Ka-ying is the country's first astronaut from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, also the first payload expert flying into space among the fourth batch of astronauts.
"This is a special Mid-Autumn Festival. Through the porthole, what I miss most is the lights of thousands of homes across China, and what I yearn for most is the full moon that illuminates Hong Kong. Gazing at the bright moon in the skies, we share the beauty of the moon even though we are thousands of miles apart. At this moment, we yearn for it even more," she said.
The three astronauts were launched aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft on May 24 this year, and then entered the space station Tiangong on May 25. To date, they have been working in orbit for four months.
"May our great motherland be prosperous and strong, and may our people be at peace. Wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and a happy family," said the three astronauts in the video from the space.
Shenzhou-23 crew sends Mid-Autumn Festival wishes from space
