Hundreds of people gathered in Manchester,UK,on Sunday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's biggest celebrations.
The event saw vibrant dance performances, martial arts and games, with delicious mooncakes also gifted to visitors.
On top of the fun-filled celebrations, the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival also holds a deeper meaning of connection and family reunions.
"Family is a very important part of our lives. So I'm very proud that we have a festival that celebrates family reunion, to remind each other we should be with our family," said Zhang Keyu, a performer at this year's event.
Local visitors spoke highly of the spirit of unity enshrined in the festival.
"We need to have these society relationships, and people to people relationships. So, I think these kinds of events are good," said Sol Stappard, one of the visitors.
"I love the performances, especially the dance. That was very vibrant. And the little parade that we all did. And the fact you get to join in as well, it really shows that it's a great community," said Vivien Csonka, another visitor.
Although the Mid-Autumn Festival is a Chinese festival, it's making a mark in the UK.
"I think this is a very very good occasion for people here in this city and the country, the UK, for people to know this Mid-Autumn Festival, the origins, all the festivities, the meanings. I think this is good for people in this country to understand Chinese culture and Chinese tradition," said Tang Rui, Chinese Consul General in Manchester.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, on Sept. 17 this year.
Manchester celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with vibrant activities
Manchester celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with vibrant activities
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
