On October 1st, Asian Studies celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival or 中秋節. As we all have come to expect by now, the event was much different than previous years and was held over Zoom. With technical difficulties sprinkled throughout and activities limited to what can be executed virtually, thanks to the wonderful presentations, performers, and organizers, the event was just as memorable and special as ever.

The night started with opening remarks and a small presentation on the importance and history of the Mid-Autumn Festival by the Asian Studies Department Program Director, Akira Shimada. 

Jack Chastain from the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association (MHAA) then gave a presentation on the moon from a physical standpoint. He explained the history behind the moon’s physical appearance, which shed light on why the moon is so important in cultures all over the world and why it became such a big part of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Asia. Following up with another highly educational presentation on the moon was Willie Yee, former president of the MHAA, and NASA Solar System Ambassador. Through Yee’s presentation, we learned about the history of astronomy in China dating back thousands of years. After this, a presentation on the general history and reason behind the celebration of the festival was given by Yicheng Yu. Yu talked about the story of the Chinese Goddess of the Moon and other integral parts of the Mid-Autumn Festival such as moon viewing, mooncakes, and the importance of getting together with family.

Then, the students that were to perform were introduced by Chinese Language Coordinator Yongli Li. Evan Poholchuk performed the Su Shi poem “Shuidiaogetou” accompanied by music, Alexa Porco read the poem “Jingyesi” by Li Bai, and Oona Stöver wrapped up the night’s performances with the song “The Moon Represents My Heart.”

Now it was time to turn our attention to the moon. Throughout the entire night, one of the Zoom participants had been a user labeled “Telescope” and now that the moon had officially risen, we were able to observe it. The moon ducked behind cloud cover a few times, but when the sky was clear, we were all able to share a beautiful view of the moon to close out this virtual ceremony.