The University of New England’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) and the Mun Hing Restaurant hosted the UNE and Armidale celebrations of the Chinese Moon Festival (or mid-Autumn Festival) last week. Fittingly, a full moon glowed overhead.
A special dinner at the Mun Hing Restaurant was attended by about one third of the 300 Chinese students at the University of New England, together with residents of UNE’s Wright Village and local community members. President of the CSSA, Melody Qiu Yu Zhang said that the Chinese Consulate provided strong support for their celebratory activities, providing them with gifts, traditional costumes and flags.
“On behalf of all of the Chinese students at UNE, the CSSA at UNE would like to invite the Armidale and wider New England community to come to the A1 Arts Theatre at UNE on October 1, to experience some Chinese culture, as we mark the National Day of the People’s Republic of China – we have lots of activities planned,” she said.
The Moon Festival (or the Mid-Autumn Festival), is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. According to legend, Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since. It is a tragic romance story, as Chang Er is said to have left her love behind and the pair were never to be reunited again. It is said that she can be seen dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival.
With that symbolism in mind, the Chinese consider the Moon Festival to be one of the most important events on their calendar. It is an occasion for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing.
As it is the time of year when Chinese families make an effort to come together, it is a time when Chinese students in Armidale feel particularly homesick, according to Melody.
“That is why it was important for us to celebrate the Moon Festival together. Here, we are a big family for each other,” she said.
In Chinese culture, the full moon is an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant moon cakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while children run around with their brightly-lit lanterns. This day was also considered a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time and food was abundant. With delinquent accounts traditionally settled prior to the festival, it was a time for relaxation and celebration.
Story: Gary Fry
