On Oct. 13, the University of Rhode Island’s Chinese Flagship program held its annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebration on the URI Quad, with many students attending to participate in games, eat different traditional Chinese pastries such as mooncakes and learn about the rich history of this holiday.
According to ancient folk tales, for over 3,000 years the festival is traditionally held on a day in mid-September to late-October, when there is a full moon. In Chinese culture, this coincides with peak harvest time in the middle of Autumn, hence its name.
The event celebrates three fundamental concepts: the first is “gathering,”as family and friends come together to celebrate a successful harvesting season. Since the moon is at its fullest on this day, this is said to represent the reunion of family, a main reason why the festival is considered important to so many.
Another concept is “giving thanks,” which is to pay tribute for a good harvest, and to celebrate harmonious relationships.
The third and final concept is “praying,” which, in this context, means hoping for good and fortunate things to come.
Wayne Wenchao He, director of the Chinese Flagship program at URI, said the festival has been a presence on campus for many years, beginning back in 2014. In the earlier years of the festival, many different events were held in Edwards Auditorium, such as dance performances.
“We would have traditional dancers from Boston and from New York City,” He said.
“This was a big community event where we would attract 500 to 600 people. We would serve Chinese food in the lobby and then guests would head inside and watch the performances.”
Unfortunately, in recent years due to COVID and a loss of funding, the festival had struggled to get back to where it was before the pandemic.
In addition to the hosting of many events synonymous with traditional Chinese culture, such as the mid-autumn festival, Adam Cieo, a fourth-year Chinese Flagship student, cites the close-knit community for why he enjoys being a part of the program.
“I think it’s one of the most compact and friendly communities here on campus,” Cieo said. “These events are a big reason. Anybody walking by, whether you’ve studied Chinese or are interested in studying Chinese, you’re welcome to come by and learn a little bit about Chinese culture, and maybe gain an interest in the language itself.”
Cieo also says that the immersiveness of the program was a factor in committing to URI, as students within the program are conversationally fluent in Chinese after just one year of study.
“For me, it started with an interest in Chinese [culture], but I know some people who are the opposite,” Cieo said. “Others start by seeing the Chinese Flagship program as an option, and then they think about it and then get an interest in Chinese. It can go both ways.”
Overall, the festival covered many different aspects of Chinese culture. While it didn’t have the traditional dancers or Chinese food as previous renditions, there is no doubt that going forward the festival will start to recapture the same magic it had from just a few years ago.