The moon’s gleam caresses the vast sea; though separated, we share its luminosity.

Yenching Academy organized various activities to celebrate this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, creating a delightful and festive day for our Scholars.

On the afternoon of September 28, YCA leadership, including Associate Dean Fan Shiming, Director of Graduate Studies Lu Yang, and Assistant Deans Chen Changwei and Zuo Jing, visited Yenching Scholars at the Shaoyuan dormitory. Staff from the Student Affairs Office also joined the visit. The Mid-Autumn Festival marked the first traditional Chinese festival for our 2023 Cohort to experience in China. Prof. Fan and Prof. Lu extended warm wishes to our Scholars for a joyous festival and a fulfilling life at the Academy. Teachers and students engaged in cheerful conversations during the tea party, enjoying the beautiful day and delicious mooncakes.

Later that evening, our Scholars gathered for a Mid-Autumn Festival gala at the second gymnasium entrance hall. The festive event, organized by the YCA League Branch and co-hosted by Altan Erdem Aras (Türkiye), Ben Bullock (England), Qiu Xiaotong (China), and Christine Zheng (USA), featured brilliant performances and various games for the attendees to enjoy.

Brilliant performance: Western and Chinese art under the same moonlit sky

The gala commenced with “Sweet”, a string quintet performed by Nozomi Asamura (Japan), Josephina Georgopoulou (UK), Harry Rubin (USA), Mary Rzepczynski (USA), and Kimberly Tan (Singapore).

Melania El Khayat’s (Italy) solo dance “Nile Rhythms under the Mid-Autumn Moon” received warm applause. The audience was enchanted by the melodious ancient zheng zither pieces, “Blue-and-white Porcelain” and “The Wind Rises”, performed by Gao Shuhan and Li Lingyun from China.

The theme of unity under the same moonlight was captivatingly portrayed in Héloïse Garry’s (France) piano solo, “Moonlight Sonata”, the violin-piano duet “Clair de Lune” by Kimberly Tan and Jin Shengzhi (China), and Kathy Min’s (USA) guitar solo, “Moonlight”.

Feng Qiyang’s (China) solo, “Falling for You All My Life (Manman Xihuan Ni)”, Daniel Coelho Barbosa’s (Brazil) guitar solo, “Nice Brazilian Song”, and the collaborative rendition of “Say My Name” by Li Luofei (China) and Etsuka Tomonaga (Japan) left a lasting impression on the audience, further enhancing the beauty of the evening.

Fun games: Overseas and Chinese talent in brainstorms

The audience partook in a quiz show centered around the Mid-Autumn Festival, with the winners receiving prizes. The event climaxed with the guessing game “You Perform, I Guess”. Subsequently, our Scholars engaged in an immersive exploration of the Mid-Autumn Festival culture through four experience zones.

Experience zones: Immersion in traditional Chinese culture

In the Calligraphy Zone, our Scholars practiced the art of Chinese calligraphy, crafting bookmarks, and assembling lanterns. The Guqin Zither Zone offered the enjoyment of zither performances and the opportunity for Scholars to try their hand at playing the instrument. The Mooncake Zone was a “delicious” corner where different flavors of mooncakes tickled the students’ taste buds. Laughter echoed in the Lantern Riddle Zone, where students deciphered riddles and worked on creating lanterns.

Under the beautiful moonlight, we collectively wished for this remarkable evening to etch itself into our memories forever, regardless of where life may take us.

Words from Yenching Scholars

Liang Danqi | China, 2023 Cohort

The starlit sky was clear in the moonlight, with floating clouds. It was my first Mid-Autumn Festival celebration at Yenching Academy, and I felt as if I was at home with my beloved peers from around the world. The performances were brilliant, and I think they are good enough for China’s Spring Festival Gala. As a member of the organizing committee, I understood how every idea materialized into this spectacular event, and my fellow volunteers’ efforts left a left impression. This gala was a Mid-Autumn Festival gift for every one of our YCA family. I’ll cherish this memory all my life.

Qiu Xiaotong | China, 2023 Cohort

The gala turned out to be a joyous event, exceeding our expectations. We were moved by our fellow students’ support, making it a great success. Also, the efforts of the organizing team and volunteers were commendable, and their contributions to the gala are greatly appreciated.

Gao Shuhan | China, 2023 Cohort

It was the first time celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with friends from all over the world. I admired my fellow students’ performances and felt a warm sense of belonging at YCA. It is truly a big, multicultural family. I’ll cherish the memories of this Mid-Autumn Day all my life.

Qian Yizhu | China, 2023 Cohort

The gala was more like a cultural feast. We laughed and admired the remarkable music of different cultures.

Nicolás Ignacio Silva Silva | China, 2023 Cohort

The gala was a moment of cohesion. I consider myself lucky to have been a part of it. The performances were extraordinary, and the inclusion of games made the gala absolutely perfect.

Alex Tani | China, 2023 Cohort

Our talented Scholars showcased their excellence at the Mid-Autumn Festival gala. Enjoying the performances in person was marvelous, and the gala was a resounding success.