Arts & Culture
Chinese Moon Festival celebrates family and full moon
The Pointer
Dneck184@uwsp.edu
Members of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Chinese Culture Club hosted the Chinese Moon Festival in the Laird Room of the Dreyfus University Center last Saturday.
A large crowd of students and community members attended to sample the traditional dessert mooncake, watch live performances and enjoy Chinese games and crafts.
The Chinese Moon Festival, sometimes called Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the passing of the fullest, roundest moon of the year. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, meaning its date will vary on the Gregorian calendar. The festival celebrates family reunion, giving friends and families an occasion to see distant relatives and admire the bright autumn moon.
“We usually get together and make a big dinner with each other,” said Zhang Anqi, the Chinese Culture Club publicity officer. “Then we put some chairs in the yard to enjoy the moon with mooncakes and Chinese tea while we tell each other about some stories in our lives. It’s really a great way for our family to spend time together,” she said.
Performances included a duet titled “You are a song in my heart,” sung by Zuo Ertai and Zhong Wen Shan; a poetry reading of “Invitation to the Moon,” by Lucy Liu, and a play performed by the members of the club. The final performance was a Tai Chi demonstration by Shi Mengqi, who was also the leading actor in the play.
Li Li, the Chinese Culture Club president expressed his joy in the large crowd. He felt more people came than expected and he thought the audience enjoyed the performances. He said that the Chinese Culture Club represents about 150 Chinese students, plus more from other backgrounds.
“We want to bring Chinese culture to Stevens Point. We’re trying to help the community understand more about our culture and people,” he said. Li also said the club is a support center for Chinese students at the university.
“They really need an organization that can bring something from home for them, and remind them that they are not alone in the United States. It also helps to teach people more about Chinese cultures, since a lot of people in America don’t know much about what China is really like,” he said.
Li said that the club is looking forward to their biggest event of the year, the upcoming Lantern Fest, which will include entertainment and dinner and take place this Spring.
