Photos: UH Hilo’s 2024 Chinese Moon Festival Celebration

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Everyone enjoyed music, arts and crafts, poetry, singing, dancing, qigong, mahjong, shuttlecock kicking, Chinese yoyo, and more.

Two women in traditional Chinese clothing, holding colorful umbrellas.
Two students enjoy traditional Chinese dress at the 2024 Chinese Moon Festival, Sept. 16, Mookini Library’s lanai. (All photos courtesy of Dept. of Languages/UH Hilo)

By Susan Enright.

Students in University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Chinese studies program in collaboration with the university’s Chinese Culture Club and student volunteers from Chinese language and folklore classes, along with some enthusiastic volunteers from the local community, presented the 2024 Chinese Moon Festival celebration last week. The annual event was held mid-day on Sept. 16 at Mookini Library’s open-air lanai.

Colorful sign: HAPPY CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL.“This traditional festival is characterized by family reunion on the mid-autumn full-moon night, with a beautiful legend of Goddess Chang’e, Jade Rabbit, and Cassia on the Moon,” says Associate Professor of Chinese Studies Jiren Feng, who organizes the annual event. Students from Chinese studies classes (CHNS 101 and CHNS 350) and the certificate in Chinese studies program helped organize and set up the tables and decorations. The festival was free and open to the campus and local community.

Everyone enjoyed soothing music, the chance to learn Chinese calligraphy (brush writing) and paper crafts, making lanterns, reciting poetry, singing, lion dance, keyboard playing, qigong performance, mahjong game, shuttlecock kicking, Chinese yoyo, dragon-ribbon dance, and more.

Visitors received white-rabbit creamy candy, learned how to make paper lanterns and paper rabbits, played Chinese yoyo, had fun learning the dragon dancing, tried on the lion dance costume and picked up a cute paper rabbit with their name written on it in Chinese.

Group performs Dragon Dance, holding paper dragon aloft high above their heads.
At left is Associate Professor of Chinese Studies Jiren Feng leading Dragon Dance, at front of dragon is Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Chris Holland, with students at right. (All photos courtesy of Dept. of Languages/UH Hilo)
Three people dance while each holds a red scarf. In the background are craft tables with red cloth coverings, people seated at the tables, and the tall glass walls of the library. At top is a banner: Chinese Studies Certificate.
Members of the local community join UH Hilo Associate Professor of Chinese Studies Jiren Feng (at right) for yangge dance at the 2024 Chinese Moon Festival, Sept. 16, Mookini Library’s lanai. (All photos courtesy of Dept. of Languages/UH Hilo)

Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.

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