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The Chinese Moon Festival, An Important part of Heritage Month

The Chinese Moon Festival, An Important part of Heritage Month

The Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology, in collaboration with the Consulate General of China in Durban and the South African KwaZulu-Natal Chinese community, will be co-hosting the annual Chinese Moon festival at a gala event at the Sibaya iZulu theatre on Monday, 2 October 2017 from 6.30pm.

The Confucius Institute seeks to celebrate the traditional Chinese Moon festival with Durban’s multi-cultural and multi-lingual communities. Professionally trained artistic troupes will give performances and presentations on Chinese folk dance, music, folk song, drama and martial arts, together with local African cultural groups.
Since 2014, the traditional Chinese Moon festival cultural gala has been considered as an important part of the Durban Heritage month events. Previously, the eThekwini municipality’s International Relations and Governance Director, Eric Apelgren, was delighted when approached to partner with DUT to co-host the Chinese Moon festival gala events in Durban.

The local Chinese community is also very happy with the support from their local business leaders to partner with DUT to invite Durban’s multi-cultural and multi-lingual communities’ to come together to celebrate the event. Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria and their Consulate in Durban, local and provincial government officials, DUT executive staff, academics and students and local community arts groups, will be attending the function.

The Chinese Moon Festival, Zhongqiu Festival, the official name in Chinese pinyin system, is an official harvest festival celebrated by the Chinese since the beginning of their historical past.
The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, during a full moon, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar, within 15 days to the autumnal equinox. The government of the People’s Republic of China listed the festival as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’ in 2006 and a public holiday in 2008. It is also named Reunion Festival because traditionally it is also a day for family members to travel from wherever they are to get together for a family reunion.

Traditionally and historically the festival celebrates three fundamental concepts which are closely tied to one another: gathering, such as family and friends coming together, or harvesting crops; Thanksgiving, to give thanks for the harvest, or for harmonious reunions; praying (asking for conceptual or material satisfaction), such as for babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, or for a good future.

Copy: Supplied by The Confucius Institute

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