The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, brings families together to celebrate the harvest moon and give thanks.
On Oct. 20, the Los Angeles Language Academy celebrated the event with their annual Chinese Cultural Festival in Arroyo Seco Junior High School’s multipurpose room.
“Members of the community were invited to participate in the audience and share in the celebratory Chinese mid-autumn festival which included the traditional moon cake for desert,” said Jack Gibbons, director of the Los Angeles Language Academy.
Co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute at California State University, Long Beach, the event included more than two hours of performances that included Chinese songs, traditional dances, martial arts, traditional string instruments and the piano.
Students from Saugus High School involved in Chinese language classes also participated in the event, along with Chinese exchange students at the high school.
“We also have the Confucius Institute teacher, Tiara Li, who is teaching Chinese language classes at Castaic Elementary School and Plum Canyon Elementary School,” Gibbons said. “She taught the elementary school students how to sing a song in Chinese and they were invited to perform on stage.”
In total, about 150 people from the Santa Clarita community participated in the event and enjoyed a Chinese buffet dinner.
They also had the chance to enjoy Moon Cake, which is the American equivalent to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, according to Gibbons.
Following the success of the event, the Los Angeles Language Academy plans to hold another event this year for the Spring Chinese Cultural Festival.
“Many people stayed around after to talk about the program and other programs and services the Los Angeles Language Academy is providing,” Gibbons said. “They also spent time meeting the staff and teachers from the Confucius Institute.”
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