The compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait participated in in an event on Thursday to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays, in Fuzhou, the capital city of east China's Fujian Province.
Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, met with major Taiwan guests attending the event, including Andrew Hsia, vice chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang.
It is a tradition for Chinese people to reunite with the whole family and celebrate the festival, Song said.
The mainland will uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence," actively boost the cross-Strait flow of personnel as well as exchanges and cooperation in various areas, and continue deepening the integrated development across the Strait, he said.
The compatriots across the Strait are all Chinese and close as a family, Hsia said, calling for cherishing the opportunities of peaceful development, building consensus and forming future-oriented visions, thereby boosting the positive development of cross-Strait relations.
Guests from Taiwan hailed the mainland's relevant policies to advance cross-Strait integrated development and facilitate cross-Strait travel, and expressed their hope for peaceful cross-Strait relations.
he Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the night when the moon reaches its fullest and brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
During the festival, family members come together from across China, share traditional moon cakes and light up lanterns to enjoy their family reunion.
Cross-Strait event celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival held in Fuzhou
China Media Group (CMG)'s much-anticipated Mid-Autumn Festival Gala aired at 20:00 Beijing Time on Tuesday, captivating a global audience with its poetic and artistic celebrations of the festival.
The gala, known as "Qiuwan" in Chinese, was filmed in Shenyang City, the provincial capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. This city, rich in cultural heritage and industrial significance, boasts a 2,300-year history, three world heritage sites, and over 1,500 historical landmarks.
Themed "Moon Culture," the gala presented over 30 artistic performances, including poems, songs, dances, and operas, vividly reflecting Chinese traditional culture with a modern flair.
The program was divided into three chapters, namely "Moon Rise," "Moon Light," and "Bright Moon."
"Moon Rise" opened with a song adapted from a poem by Li Qingzhao, a Song Dynasty (960-1279) female poet, celebrating the sweet osmanthus flower, which blooms at this time of year and has been cultivated in China for over 2,500 years.
This section also featured performances blending traditional Chinese music with contemporary styles, emphasizing family, patriotism, and nostalgia, including a performance featuring popular Kazakhstani singer Dimash Qudaibergen.
The second chapter, "Moon Light," highlighted traditional Chinese culture and Shenyang's local charm with acts which included ancient shadow puppetry and errenzhuan, a two-person stand-up comedy unique to northeast China.
Notable performances included pop star Li Yuchun's duet with a child, celebrating maternal love, and singer Tan Weiwei's performance with Olympic champions Wu Dajing and Deng Yawen, honoring dream chasers. Hungarian pianist Balazs Havasi joined Chinese artists for a stirring performance, spreading a message of warmth and romance.
"Moon Bright," the final chapter, featured classic songs and reunion-themed narratives.
Highlights included a musical adaptation of Tang Dynasty poem "Qing Ping Diao” by poet Li Bai (701-762), which captures the essence of ancient Chinese beauty. A moving performance by a middle-school chorus from Macao Special Administrative Region expressed students' love for the country and hopes for a brighter future.
French musician Richard Clayderman enchanted the audience with his timeless "A Comme Amour" and a breathtaking rendition of "The Butterfly Lovers" concerto, which intertwines Chinese folklore with Western romantic composition.
The gala is now available on various China Central Television (CCTV) channels and new media platforms.
This year's Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolizing family reunion, was celebrated on Tuesday, September 17.
CMG's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala celebrates traditions with star-studded performances
