Moon Festival and Chinese language week starts September 21

Manawatu Chinese Association vice-president Catherine Richardson shows off mooncakes.

Palmerston North's multicultural communities are inviting everyone to help them celebrate the Moon Festival and Chinese Language Week, which runs September 21 to October 4.

Marked by many of the city's cultures, the Moon Festival is a mid-autumn festival that traditionally celebrates the harvest and hard work.

In more modern times, it is a time for family gatherings, the making and eating of mooncakes (sweet pastries), lantern lighting, and the sharing of cultures.

Palmerston North City Library Multicultural services officer Jeremie Corroenne says the activities provide the city with an opportunity to be welcoming, and to celebrate its rich cultural diversity, and for people to learn about cultures other than their own.

"The Moon Festival and Chinese Language Week are ways we can celebrate not only our Chinese community but also our people with cultural roots in countries such as Korean, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia," Corroenne says.

The City Library will host many of the events during the week, which includes a Chinese Language Exhibition, as well as language, calligraphy and tai chi classes.

The Manawatū Chinese Association will host a Moonfest Storytime (September 25), a mooncake making workshop (September 28), and a Moon Festival lantern and movie night (September 30) at their Napier Rd hall.

The week will wrap up with the Manawatū Chinese Association Dinner, on October 4, at China Town Restaurant (reservations required).

A Chinese Language and Culture Show at the Globe planned for the week is now scheduled for November 8, giving time for rehearsals outside of Covid-19 level 2 gathering restrictions.

Mayor Grant Smith says the city's celebration of Moon Festival and Chinese Language Week is an opportunity to show welcoming and togetherness.

"We know how important it is, especially during these Covid-19 times, to be supportive as a global community.

"The city's links with China are strong, as we saw with our sister city Guiyang, which is in the Guizhou province, with whom we shared support, with them kindly sending us 10,000 masks for the city to use," Smith says.

"I encourage the community to check out the festival and language week activities and learn more about the diverse cultures of our city."

To find out more and the Moon Festival and Chinese Language Week, go to https://citylibrary.pncc.govt.nz/whats-on/programme/chinese-language-week

NOTE: Moon Festival and Chinese Language Week activities may be subject to schedule changes because of the Covid-19 environment.