While attending a reception hosted by the local Chinese community, in Seattle, the US state of Washington, in September 2015, President Xi Jinping remarked, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is just days away. [As Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei wrote,] 'I doubly pine for kinsfolk on a holiday.' I understand that everyone here deeply misses their homeland and loved ones thousands of miles away, and they too are thinking about every overseas Chinese."
He added, "We welcome everyone to come back home often. We've brought some hometown mooncakes as a token of affection from the people of our motherland."
The Mid-Autumn Festival Xi mentioned is one of China's four major traditional festivals, celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. In 2024, the festival falls on September 17 on the Gregorian calendar.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, skies are usually clear with bright moonlight and families gather to share mooncakes, sip fine wine and admire the full moon. The festival embodies people's aspirations for family reunion, happiness and profound sentiments toward their homeland.
Mid-Autumn Festival: First and foremost, spirit of family reunion
In Xi's office, several family photos prominently display cherished moments: supporting his mother from both sides with his wife Peng Liyuan, helping his father in a wheelchair, posing with his wife, and taking his daughter on a bicycle ride. Xi has consistently emphasized the importance of familial harmony, demonstrating care for his parents and a deep appreciation for his family.
He once said, "Regardless of how the times change, or how our lives are transformed, we must remain committed to making our families better, laying emphasis on life, learning and conduct in the home."
Mid-Autumn Festival: Underscoring cultural heritage
Moon gazing is an integral part of the celebration and is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Over millennia, the Chinese people have transformed their production and life practices into a unique culture, forming a profound civilization. As Xi once said, "The extensive, profound and outstanding traditional Chinese culture is the foundation for us to stand firm upon in the global mingling and clashing of cultures."
"We must protect, inherit and leverage traditional Chinese culture, exploring its rich connotations to strengthen cultural confidence and unite the national spirit," he noted.
Mid-Autumn Festival: Reflecting on bond between family and country
A family is the smallest unit of a nation, while a nation is a myriad of families put together. The festival is not only about family reunions but also about nationwide celebrations.
In Xi's view, the love for one's motherland is the deepest and most enduring sentiment in the world. Patriotism is one's source of morality and the foundation for achievements. He pointedly noted, "Whoever does not love their country – or even worse, deceives and betrays their motherland – is a disgrace and has no place anywhere in the world."
Regarding patriotism, Xi said at a symposium with the faculty and students of Peking University on May 2, 2018, "We must always think of the country and the people."
Mid-Autumn Festival: Never forget to cherish genuine affections
The full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes enduring sentiments. Feeling and expressing genuine affection have always been integral to this celebration.
"Nothing touches the heart more than genuine affection," Xi has said.
"In today's rapidly changing society, people devote themselves to work and their livelihoods, but we must not forget genuine human emotions. Do not let distance sever them, let being busy make us forget them, or let striving cause us to neglect them," Xi once said.