A traditional vegetable-gathering event was held on Friday in Jianshi County, central China's Hubei Province, to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and usher in a bountiful harvest by the year's end.
"Moqiu," or "Touching the Autumn," is a traditional folk activity of the Tujia ethnic group that has been passed down through generations for several hundred years.
The event is typically held around the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese celebration that falls on the night when the moon is at its fullest, on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
With this year's Mid-Autumn Festival set to be celebrated on September 17, villagers in Jianshi County flocked to gather vegetables from local gardens, a gesture symbolizing their hopes for a bountiful harvest.
The event began with a rhythmic dragon dance, accompanied by fireworks. Applause erupted consistently throughout the performance as the dragon moved up and down and back and forth.
After the show, villagers and tourists, holding torches in hand, followed the dragon to a garden where they raced to gather vegetables such as eggplants, peppers, and ears of corn.
"It was a great joy for me to participate in 'Moqiu' today and wear the Tujia traditional ethnic clothing. And as lucky as I am, I gathered the biggest bunch of grapes in this day's activity, " tourist Tian Wenwen said.
Traditional vegetable-gathering event held in Hubei to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
Traditional vegetable-gathering event held in Hubei to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
