Hundreds celebrated the Moon Festival in USC’s Bovard Auditorium with song and dance.
Story by: Mingxu (Matthew) Sun
On October 5, hundreds of people from all over California came together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at Bovard Auditorium at USC. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Zhongqiu Festival, is held each year on the night of the full moon between early September and early October of the Gregorian calendar and is celebrated by the Chinese and Vietnamese. This harvest festival dates back 3,000 years and celebrates three central concepts: gathering, thanksgiving, and praying.
The Chinese Students and Scholars in Southwest of America (SWCSSA) and USC Chinese Students and Scholars Association (USC-CSSA) hosted this event to both celebrate the Moon Festival and also to create a networking opportunity for students, the Chinese population, and entrepreneurs in Southern California. Highlights of the evening were dance and music performances, such as a capella, singing, and instrumental music, some of which were put on by students. The performances were “a combination of Chinese elements and Western culture, and it was absolutely fascinating,” said MingXu (Matthew) Sun, vice president of USC-CSSA.
“It took 3 months, and more than 200 staff to prepare for this,” Sun said. The event “successfully attracted hundreds of students and actors from all over California,” he added.
Events attendees included undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni from USC; University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB); University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); University of California, Irvine (UCI); California State University, Northridge (CSUN); California State University, Fullerton (CSUF); Pasadena City College (PCC); The Claremont Colleges; University of California, San Diego (UCSD); and San Diego State University (SDSU).
Performance of a traditional dance with bright, beautiful costumes.
Girls perform a more contemporary style of dance during Moon Festival festivities.
Mingxu (Matthew) Sun is pursuing a Master of Strategic Public Relations, is the Vice President of the Chinese Student and Scholars Association, and is from China.