The Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Cape Town celebrated the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival over the weekend.
More than 500 guests attended an event on Friday at Cape Town City Hall.
Zhōngqiū Jié also known as the Moon or Mooncake Festival was on Saturday and is an important part of Chinese culture which celebrates a rich harvest. The festival is the second most important after the Chinese New Year.
Chinese dancers entertained guests who were treated to Chinese food and special traditional mooncake. In China, Chinese people celebrate the festival by sharing good food, lighting paper lanterns, and eating mooncakes.
Students and teachers from Cape Towns Confucius Institutes, Confucius Classrooms, Chinese Language Departments of the different universities and Chinese International Schools were among the guests.
China also celebrated Teachers' Day on Saturday.
Director of Consular Affairs and Overseas Chinese Services Wang Qingquan wished and welcomed guests.
He said:“ It is my great pleasure to celebrate with the Chinese teachers and students. The growth of each person is inseparable from the guidance and nurturing of teachers. On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Cape Town, I would like to express my appreciation for your hard work and wish you all happy, healthy and prosperous double holidays. At the same time, I would like to congratulate the outstanding students who received awards today (on Friday).”
Wang said in the past three years, in face of the Covid-19, China and South Africa had united to overcome the difficulties together, “writing a new chapter of friendship and cooperation between the two sides”.
He said the Confucius Institutes, Confucius Classrooms, Chinese Language Departments of the universities, and Chinese International Schools in the city had worked hard to improve the Chinese language proficiency of their students and promote cultural exchanges between China and South Africa. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to you all.”
He said China which recently hosted a successful Beijing Winter Olympics would on October 1, be celebrating the 73rd birthday of New China. “Next month, we will be embracing a milestone meeting of the CPC, at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China.
“By promoting high-quality development and pushing forward reform and opening up to a higher level, China will bring more cooperation opportunities for all countries in the world and open up broader prospects for China-South Africa cooperation.”
Wang said: Culture is enriched by exchange and mutual learning. The Chinese Consulate General in Cape Town will continue to support Chinese language education as well as the educational and cultural exchanges between China and South Africa.
“We hope that all students who are committed to learning Chinese will become friendship ambassadors and build bridges of friendship between the peoples of China and South Africa. We believe that with the joint efforts of all, we will consolidate the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and South Africa. Let us join hands to usher in a better tomorrow for the peoples of both countries.”