The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China’s most important cultural events. It’s a celebration of Chinese traditions, but at its roots, it’s all about relationships, and it seems it’s forging connections in some unexpected places. CGTN’s Michael Marillier visited the British city of Manchester, taking in the sights and sounds of this unique festival
#midautumn #china #uk #manchester
#midautumn #china #uk #manchester
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00:00The Mid-Autumn Festival is many things.
00:05Dance.
00:07Martial arts.
00:09Games.
00:11And of course, moons.
00:13Really big moons.
00:15But above all, it's a celebration of unity.
00:19Highlighting that no matter where we are, we're all under the same moon.
00:24The idea behind this festival is really important in today's world.
00:28It's about building connections.
00:30Not just when we're close together, but when we find ourselves far apart.
00:36John Kuryu is one of the performers at this year's event.
00:40She plays the moon goddess.
00:42Family is a very important part in our life.
00:45So I'm very proud that we have a festival that celebrates a family reunion
00:51to remind each other we should be with our family.
00:57This is a Chinese festival.
00:59But it's making a mark here in the United Kingdom.
01:03We need to have these society-to-society relationships
01:06and people-to-people relationships.
01:08So I think these kinds of events are good.
01:12I love the performances, especially the dance.
01:15That was very vibrant.
01:17And the little parade that we all did.
01:19And the fact that you get to join in as well.
01:21It really shows that it's a great community.
01:24Manchester is famous for its football teams.
01:27So it's no surprise that football is part of this festival.
01:32But not just any football.
01:34This is Zuzhou, an ancient Chinese form of the game.
01:38Of course, I had to give it a try.
01:47Traditional games are scattered all over this venue.
01:50The more I play, the more I think I could go professional.
02:02But then reality hits.
02:05It's time to roll some dice.
02:07If I get the same numbers in these bowls, I get a prize.
02:10Here we go.
02:21ZERO
02:29ZERO
02:31All these games are making me hungry.
02:34So I'm on the hunt for a treat.
02:38What do you think of the texture?
02:40Very good. It's soft.
02:42Very nice.
02:45Really spongy.
02:47Mooncakes are delicious.
02:49But they don't just fill our stomachs.
02:52I feel this would be good with coffee or tea.
02:54What do you think?
02:55They're a reminder that relationships feed our souls.
02:59And that's the message officials are hoping to send.
03:03I think this is a very good occasion for people here in this city
03:08and the country in the UK,
03:10for people to know this Mid-Autumn Festival,
03:14the origins, all the festivities, the meanings.
03:18I think this is good for people in this country
03:22to understand Chinese culture and Chinese tradition.
03:26It only took a few hours before I was trying on the traditional Hanfu clothing.
03:32It may take a few more hours before I figure out how to do it properly.
03:37But that's besides the point.
03:40Sure, the UK is thousands of kilometres from China.
03:44The countries have very different cultures.
03:47But it's not hard to see the connections.
03:51All you have to do is look up.