The China National Arts and Crafts Museum and the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum hosted a series of hands-on crafting activities to celebrate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.
At the museum, visitors were guided by Lou Hongliang, an inheritor of Wu-style traditional pastry making, in making Wu mooncakes.
Originating from Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, Wu-style mooncakes are made from steamed rice flour, which sets them apart from the baked mooncakes of other regions. These mooncakes are renowned for the intricate pictures drawn on their snow-white surface using natural pigments.
"Our chef is painting a picture on the mooncake. Back in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), there was a custom in Jinhua during the Mid-Autumn Festival to worship the moon. These decorated mooncakes were used as sacrificial offerings. After the ritual, families would cut the mooncake and share it," said Lou.
Qiao Meixia, a master crafter who makes traditional colored lantern-making in Beijing, showcased the themed lantern she created for this year's festival, inspired by the famous Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai.
The museum also featured other intangible cultural heritage crafts, including traditional mooncake-making, colored lanterns, and paper cutting, allowing visitors to participate in making these crafts themselves by appointment.
"Promoting traditional Chinese festivals is one of the key missions of our museum. We have developed plans to host special activities for each traditional Chinese festival," said Wang Chenyang, secretary of the party committee at the China National Arts and Crafts Museum and China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum.
Chinese museums celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncake painting, lantern making
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a non-binding resolution on Wednesday demanding an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory within the next 12 months by an overwhelming margin.
The resolution was adopted with 124 votes in favor, 14 against and 43 abstentions, during the UNGA's 10th emergency special session considering Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The resolution demanding that Israel comply with all its legal obligations under international law, including advisory opinions by the International Court of Justice, was introduced by the State of Palestine on Tuesday and was co-sponsored by more than two dozen nations.
By the newly adopted resolution, the UNGA "demands that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which constitutes a wrongful act of a continuing character entailing its international responsibility and do so no later than 12 months from the adoption of the present resolution."
The UNGA also demands that Israel comply without delay with all its legal obligations under international law, including as stipulated by the International Court of Justice.
In remarks before the vote, Mohamed Issa Abushahab, the permanent representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, said the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza must be addressed through unimpeded access to those in need, a ceasefire deal and the full implementation of all related Security Council resolutions.
A credible peace process must be relaunched to work towards a two-State solution to diffuse this conflict, he said, expressing support for the State of Palestine's full statehood and UN membership. "The time has come to end the suffering," he noted.
Introducing the draft resolution on Tuesday, Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, called for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He said the Palestinian people have been steadfast in the pursuit of their inalienable rights, just like all other citizens worldwide who seek self-determination.
"The Palestinians want to live, not survive -- they want to be safe in their homes, they want their children to go to school without fear. They want to be free in reality as they are in spirit," said Mansour.
UNGA calls for end to Israeli occupation in Palestine within a year
UNGA calls for end to Israeli occupation in Palestine within a year
