Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration held in Malta

A Chinese artist dances during a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration event in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

VALLETTA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A celebration event featuring mainly poem recitals and music performance was held on Friday night in Valletta, Malta to mark the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most cherished traditional holidays.

Hosted by the China Cultural Center in Malta, the event brought together Chinese and Maltese participants to exchange well-wishes for each other and for a deeper and lasting friendship between the two nations.

Maltese sinologist Salvatore Giuffre, donning traditional Han clothing, recited a Chinese poem "Spring River in the Flower Moon Night" written in the 7th-century. He also explained to the audience the scene of poetic beauty and imagination the poem vividly portrayed.

Following Giuffre's recital, young Chinese artist Guo Mei performed a classic Chinese composition with the same title on the pipa, a traditional pear-shaped stringed instrument, echoing the lyrical charm of the poem.

Albert Marshall, executive chairman of Arts Council Malta, recited his own poem "These beautiful people from the remote mountains of Guangxi." It's from his poetry collection "Six Chinese Lanterns", which was inspired by his visit to south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the summer of 2019.

Marshall said it was particularly encouraging to see younger generations from both nations becoming more familiar with each other's cultures.

The event also featured a collaborative performance and interaction activities like tasting mooncakes and making their own mooncakes and Chinese lanterns.

Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta, highlighted the significance of cultural exchange. "Through events like this, the understanding between our peoples deepened."

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept. 17 this year. Traditionally, it is time for family getting-together in China. ■

Albert Marshall, executive chairman of Arts Council Malta, recites his own poem during a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration event in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

A Chinese artist plays pipa, a traditional pear-shaped stringed instrument, during a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration event in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)