Cardiff Confucius Institute celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with weekend of cultural events across Cardiff

Cardiff Confucius Institute welcomed hundreds of visitors to a vibrant weekend of Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, bringing together communities from across Cardiff to experience Chinese culture through traditional arts, music, dance and hands-on activities.

The celebrations took place across two public events on Saturday 26 September at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay and Sunday 27 September at Insole Court's Moon Festival Event, offering opportunities for people of all ages to explore one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture.

Traditionally a time for family reunions, sharing food and celebrating beneath the full moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a cherished celebration across the Chinese-speaking world. Through partnerships with local organisations and schools, Cardiff Confucius Institute showcased the festival's rich cultural heritage while promoting greater understanding and friendship between the people of Wales and China.

Red Dragon Centre celebration draws families to Cardiff Bay

The weekend began on Saturday at the Red Dragon Centre, where visitors enjoyed a wide range of free cultural activities including Chinese calligraphy, lantern making, Mid-Autumn Festival decorations and traditional Chinese paper cutting.

School student presentation

A highlight of the afternoon was a presentation on the origins and traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival by four. As students from one of the Confucius Institute's Confucius Classrooms, they delivered a confident presentation about the history and customs of the festival.

Their participation demonstrated the close collaboration between Cardiff Confucius Institute and its partner schools in supporting Chinese language learning and fostering greater intercultural understanding among young people in Wales.

Cultural performances

The cultural programme also featured a series of performances celebrating Chinese music, dance and wellbeing traditions. Audiences enjoyed a dance performance of The Beauty Pass (美人关) by Kezhi Pu and a guzheng performance of Spring River in the Flower Moon Night (春江花月夜) by Zi Ye.

A special guest musical performance brought together Chinese and Western musical traditions. UK-based Chinese musicians Mr Hu Jiabin (piano) and Ms Zhao Jiahui (violin) presented an innovative programme featuring the contemporary Chinese composition Tea Under the Moonlight (月下煮茶) alongside Claude Debussy's En bateau ("On the Boat"), creating a unique cross-cultural musical experience.

Further performances included beautiful dance to When Will the Bright Moon Appear? (明月几时有), performed by Zhixuan Xiao, Zixin Zhao and Xiaoyu Li, and a demonstration of Baduanjin (Eight Brocades), a traditional Chinese exercise practice, by Xiaoyu Li, Liping Zhong, Zhixuan Xiao and Zixin Zhao.

Partnership with Insole Court brings Moon Festival to historic Cardiff venue

The celebrations continued on Sunday as Cardiff Confucius Institute partnered with Insole Court to deliver its popular Moon Festival event from 4pm to 8pm.

Chinese craft workshops

The partnership transformed the historic venue into a lively cultural celebration, combining Chinese traditions with Insole Court's community heritage mission. Visitors were able to participate in calligraphy, lantern making, Mid-Autumn Festival craft activities and Chinese paper cutting throughout the evening.

Music, dance and lantern parade

The performance programme featured returning favourites from Saturday's event, including Kezhi Pu performing The Beauty Pass (美人关), Zhixuan Xiao, Zixin Zhao and Xiaoyu Li performing When Will the Bright Moon Appear? (明月几时有), and Zi Ye performing Spring River in the Flower Moon Night (春江花月夜) on the guzheng.

Throughout the evening, visitors enjoyed more music performances in the Drawing Room, cultural demonstrations, traditional Chinese street food and opportunities to learn more about the history and significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival. As darkness fell, participants gathered for a special finale, taking part in an LED lantern parade through the gardens before ending the evening beneath the light of the autumn moon.

The event also helped raise valuable funds to support Insole Court as a community heritage site.

Performance programme

Performance programme video

Celebrating cultural exchange

Professor Langlang Wang, Academic Director of Cardiff Confucius Institute, said:

"We are delighted by the tremendous success of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations and the enthusiasm shown by communities across Cardiff. These events provided wonderful opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience Chinese culture, learn about the traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival and take part in meaningful cultural exchange.

"Partnerships are at the heart of what we do, and we are extremely grateful to our colleagues at the Red Dragon Centre, Insole Court, Ysgol Cwm Rhymni and all of our performers, volunteers and supporters who helped make this weekend possible. By working closely with valued local partners, we can create engaging cultural experiences that build friendships, deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the connections between the people of China and the people of Wales."

The weekend's events formed part of Cardiff Confucius Institute's ongoing programme of public engagement activities designed to promote Chinese language and culture while creating opportunities for intercultural dialogue and community participation across Wales.