On the afternoon of September 28th, a special gathering for celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with the theme on Mid-Autumn Moon, Bonds of Togetherness was held by Junde College on the second floor of the F5 canteen at the Guangzhou International Campus, which attracted quite a lot of  students from three campuses of SCUT, engaging in multi-dimensional experiences involving audio-visual activities, hands-on crafts, and shared emotions. All the participants had very deep impression on the charm of the traditional festival, which enhanced their cultural identity and collective bonds.

During the Cultural Exploration segment, students learned about the historical origins and traditional customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Through activities like moon worship, moon gazing, mooncakes enjoying and lantern admiring, they developed a deeper, multi-layered understanding of the festival's cultural significance and emotional connotations.

Lantern Making Activity

In the hands-on experience session, students personally made lanterns and mooncakes. They collaboratively assembled Mid-Autumn lanterns symbolizing reunion and learned to make snowy mooncakes and Cantonese-style mooncakes under the guidance of canteen chefs. The scents of lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and mixed nuts filled the air as they worked together, sharing blessings and strengthening bonds through these practical activities.

Making mooncakes

During the poetry interaction session, students appreciated the Mid-Autumn Festival as depicted in classical poetry and enthusiastically participated in the Voices of Home Recite Classics activity. They recited Prelude to Water Melody in various Chinese dialects including Shanghainese, Teochew and Sichuanese, demonstrating the breadth of Chinese culture and emotional resonance through this melodic diversity.

As the event drew to a close, students engaged in a heartfelt discussion centered on gratitude, fate, and blessings, expressing gratitude for their gathering and cherishing their bond as classmates. Finally, all teachers and students held their self-made lanterns and mooncakes, taking a warm group photo together as they shared their hopes for the future.

This event, centered around traditional culture, not only strengthened the camaraderie among students but also fostered a profound sense of national identity through the appreciation of traditional heritage. It reinforced the awareness that we all share one home—the consciousness of the Chinese national community.

News material offered by Junde College

Translated by SHI Weipeng

Initial Review by AN Yufan

Final Review by WU Zhaosheng