A show for the celebration of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was staged in London Chinatown last Sunday.

Kicking off with a lion dance, the show captivated a huge crowd in the bustling area with a variety of programs, including Chinese-style dances, instrumental performances, songs, puppet dancing, and acrobatics.

The annual Mid-Autumn Festival is usually celebrated with family reunions and mooncake sharing on the 15th day of August on the Chinese lunar calendar when the moon is the fullest and brightest. It falls on September 29 this year.

The excitement in the audience reached a crescendo as artists from southern China's Guangdong Province performed acrobatics, traditional Cantonese opera, contemporary dance, and a rod-puppet dance with long silk.

The crowd burst into a round of applause and cheers when acrobats from Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong, displayed extreme physical flexibility and balance. 

Chantal Haidar, a visitor from Germany: "I thought it's such an impressive thing to do because you can express feelings with the movements. And it's good to learn."

Francesca Olivieri, another visitor from Italy: "I think that the Italian culture and the Chinese culture are very, very different. So for me, this kind of view about the Mid-Autumn Festival was very new, because in Italy, we don't have this kind of celebration, but I like it so much because I feel like the Chinese culture gives importance to all sorts of small things that we do not consider, so it's very beautiful."

STORY: London celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with performances
DATELINE: Sept. 26, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:52
LOCATION: London
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the performances
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): CHANTAL HAIDAR, Visitor from Germany
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): FRANCESCA OLIVIERI, Visitor from Italy
4. various of the performances

STORYLINE:

A show for the celebration of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was staged in London Chinatown on Sunday, impressing many with performances featuring Chinese culture and art.
   
Kicking off with a lion dance, the show captivated a huge crowd in the bustling area with a variety of programs, including Chinese-style dances, instrumental performances, songs, puppet dancing, and acrobatics.
   
The annual Mid-Autumn Festival is usually celebrated with family reunions and mooncake sharing on the 15th day of August on the Chinese lunar calendar when the moon is the fullest and brightest. It falls on Sept. 29 this year.
   
The excitement in the audience reached a crescendo as artists from south China's Guangdong Province performed acrobatics, traditional Cantonese opera, contemporary dance, and a rod-puppet dance with long silk.
   
The crowd burst into a round of applause and cheers when acrobats from Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong, displayed extreme physical flexibility and balance. 
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): CHANTAL HAIDAR, Visitor from Germany
"I thought it's such an impressive thing to do, because you can express feelings with the movements. And it's good to learn."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): FRANCESCA OLIVIERI, Visitor from Italy
"I think that the Italian culture and the Chinese culture are very, very different. So for me, this kind of view about the Mid-Autumn Festival was very new, because in Italy, we don't have this kind of celebration, but I like it so much because I feel like the Chinese culture gives importance to all sorts of small things that we do not consider, so it's very beautiful."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from London.
(XHTV)