This year the Mid-Autumn Festival, 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū jié) in Chinese, falls rightly on the 1st October, which coincides the Chinese National Day.

At Queen’s we are hosting an online celebration including a culture talk with language taster session, cultural performances, a culture quiz and poem appreciation, contributed by Queen’s Chinese students and alumni. The event is scheduled between 12:30 and 13:45 on the day. You are all very welcome to attend the session with the information and registration link below:

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Language points

Normally people would greet each other by saying 中秋节快乐 (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival). However, in this special time of facing pandemic threat, we can add 安康 (ānkāng), meaning peace and healthy, after 快乐 (kuàilè), which becomes “中秋节快乐安康 (Zhōngqiū jié kuàilè ānkāng)”.

• 中 (zhōng) – middle, centre
• 秋 (qiū) – autumn
• 中秋 (Zhōngqiū) – mid-Autumn
• 节 (jié) – festival, day
• 快乐 (kuàilè) – happy
• 安康 (ānkāng) – peace and healthy

To learn more Chinese vocabulary and expressions in a structured way, you are welcome to attend one of our Chinese courses for non-specialist purposes.

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Culture Quiz

Please submit your answers in the comment box below.

Q1. Mid-Autumn Festival is the time for people to ______ in China.
A. travel for sightseeing
B. have dragon boat races
C. worship family ancestors
D. have family reunion

Q2. When is the Mid-Autumn Festival due, according to the Chinese lunar calendar?
A. the 1^st day of the 8^th month
B. the 8^th day of the 8^th month
C. the 15^th day of the 8^th month
D. the last day of the 8^th month

Q3. What particular dessert do Chinese people like to eat on Mid-Autumn Festival?
A. pan cake
B. moon cake
C. pork pie
D. jiaozi dumpling

Q4. What do Chinese people, home and abroad, particularly do on this particular occasion?
A. watching TV and playing cards
B. making moon cakes and pies
C. watching the moon and thinking of family
D. going to pubs and eating out

Q5. In which year did the Mid-Autumn festival become an official holiday in China? 
A. 2008 
B. 2004 
C. 2010 
D. 2001 

Q6. What kinds of Chinese mythology are closely related to Mid-Autumn Festival? 
A. The Monkey Myth
B. The Moon Goddess Chang’e
C. Yu, the hero who rebuilt the Earth 
D. Yi, the hero who shot suns 

Q7. How many suns did Yi shoot down from the sky?
A. 10
B. 9
C. 8
D. 1

Q8. Why did Chang’e leave Yi?
A. Yi could not afford the cost of living
B. Chang’e’s parents did not allow her to be with him
C. Chang’e did not love Yi anymore
D. In order to keep the elixir, Chang’e swallowed it and ascended to the moon

Q9. What does this radical part ‘𥫗’ mean in the character of ‘筝 (zheng, or Chinese zither)’?
A. bamboo
B. wood
C. Stone
D. Grass

Q10. What is normally written on the surface of a mooncake?
A. Greetings and wishes for the festival celebration
B. The company trademark/logo/slogan which made the mooncake
C. Instructions of how to taste the mooncake
D. The ingredients of the mooncake