he Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese Festival for family reunion, fell on Sep. 24 this year. SISU students at home and abroad celebrated this festival and passed Chinese culture on to their foreign fiends.

Spain

Nie Qi, a SISU student studying Spanish at Universitat de València in Valencia, celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with some foreign friends this year. They saw at the beach the moon appear with the sunset glow. Qi introduced to his friends the Chinese lunar calendar and 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Although being far away from his family, Qi found it meaningful to tell the story of traditional Chinese culture to foreign friends. “I feel less lonely accompanied by them,” Qi added.

Britain

Xiang Weijie, graduated from school of English studies, has been in London for a week. He is now a postgraduate majoring in politics and communication at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“I feel at home celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinatown,” Xiang said. With some new Chinese friends, he found the festival abroad less lonely. They attended a traditional gala and shared moon cakes with native friends.

Belgium

Wang Xinrui, exchanging in Brussels, Belgium, cooked a meal with her friends under her father’s remote instructions. Her first cooking was a success. Tears came into her eyes when the food tasted like what her father cooked.

Russia

Wang Jiujiu, studying at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, tried to make traditional moon-cakes for the festival. Her attempt was a failure to herself, but was appreciated by her Russian roommates. She shared her recipe with them and they chatted about the food and culture.

Hungary

Jin Zhi spent her first Mid-Autumn Festival abroad in Lake Balaton, Hungary. In the past few months, she liked to walk around the town and sit by the lake. “Seeing the round moon when I was on a train, I suddenly felt it great to see this world,” she said.

Hungarians don't celebrate the festival, but some people performed at the square. The teachers from Confucius Institute also invited overseas students to eat moon-cakes.

The United States

Tao Yiweng, an exchange student at Temple University, Philadelphia, attended a party held by “i-House”, an overseas student organization, with her best friend Zhao Yuqiao from School of English Studies. Attendants made moon-cakes and enjoyed the moon. 

Sun Junzhi, a junior studying public relationship at Temple University, Philadelphia, has been in America for a month. He also celebrated the festival with his friends from east Asian countries, like Japan, Korea and Vietnam. They gathered in downtown Philadelphia and shared traditions of their hometown.

“We share our life experience and eat moon cakes provided by the consulate in Philadelphia,” he said.

Japan

Gong Xinyue studying economics at Asia University as an exchange student, introduced that Japanese people traditionally have Wagashi, or Japanese sweets, at their Moon Festival in Japan, which is similar to the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. She bought a special hamburger at McDonald's and celebrated alone.

Differently, Xu Yao and his girlfriend Cui Yueying dined together with their Japanese friends during the holiday. “Moon-cakes are never affordable here,” Xu complained. Xu and Cui are both studying interpretation in Tokyo but at different universities. They were so busy these days as new comers that they hardly thought of the festival. “On our way home, I stared at the moon and felt kind of homesick,” Cui added.

Korea

Zhao Jinyi, studying at Kyung Hee University as an exchange student, missed Chinese moon-cakes very much as Koreans have steamed rice cakes instead at the Mid-Autumn Festival. She got an “apple-cake” from her teacher. Jinyi went parachuting with her classmates during the holiday.

Vietnam

Zhu Xinyi, a junior majoring Vietnamese at Hanoi, Vietnam, barbecued with his friends celebrating the festival.

"The Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam is not as grand as in China," Zhu said. “Actually, it’s for children.” Children stroll at night holding carp lanterns and watch dragon dance on the street.

“What a pity that I was fully scheduled on Monday!” Zhu added.

China

Dao Hong Vu, a Vietnamese postgraduate student studying Journalism at SISU, celebrated his birthday at the Mid-Autumn Festival. He missed his family and friends. “We eat moon-cakes the whole month celebrating the festival,” he added.