A dragon puppet gracefully twirled through the air as the smell of fresh shumai filled the room. Audience members’ eyes darted up to watch Chinese yo-yos fly towards the sky. Holmes Lounge buzzed with activity on Sept. 25 as WashU celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival for the first time in three years.

To give students this taste of East Asian culture, the event featured performances from several student groups that practice traditional elements of East Asian life. In collaboration with the Asian Multicultural Collective, the event was cosponsored by the Office of Cross-Cultural Connections, WashU Libraries, and Corner 17.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also referred to as the Moon Festival, traditionally takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The date is said to have the fullest and brightest moon, which symbolizes familial closeness and harmony. As a result, most celebrate the festival by gathering with family from near and far.  

This closeness was exactly what East Asian & Chinese Studies Librarian Joan Wang had at the forefront of her mind when planning WashU’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Even though most students are far from their relatives during the festival, Wang wanted members of the campus community to still feel connected to others. 

“I hope that the event will resonate with the students’ [cultural] background identity and that they can build the connection with their friends and classmates,” Wang said. 

Ben McKinley | Staff Photographer

The festival opened with the WashU Spring Ensemble, a traditional Chinese orchestra. The group played a piece entitled “Climbing Spring Mountain,” whose light and airy melody perfectly captured the sweet air of spring.

After a performance by a soloist from the Ensemble, co-emcees Emmy Sun, a fourth-year PhD student, and junior Ella Jiao came onstage to lead the audience in an interactive trivia activity. After scanning a QR code on their phones, members of the audience answered questions and riddles about Mid-Autumn Festival legends, modern moon explorations, and more. For one round, participants had to perform a song with the word “moon” in front of the entire audience. 

If students correctly answered the emcees’ questions, they were gifted a lantern that was emblematic of the festival. 

“Lanterns of all sizes and shapes actually [symbolize] … pastoral prosperity and good fortune for the people,” Wang said. “So the light lantern actually carries the celebration of the harvest in the new year and also carries people’s good [wishes] for the future.” 

 After trivia, the audience settled down to watch third-year PhD student Cynthia Chen perform a solo dance entitled “Incense.” Dressed as a traditional Chinese concubine, Chen told the audience the story of a royal concubine preparing to meet the philosopher Confucius. 

The dance was followed by an exhibit by YoWU, WashU’s Chinese yo-yo club. The group’s exciting and aerodynamic performance was a perfect addition to the festival’s roster.

To cap off the event, WashU Samulnori, a traditional Korean drumming group, delivered a dynamic ending. The troupe performed a piece called “Thunder, Wind, Rain, and Clouds,” elements that were represented by the four different drums included in the ensemble. Samulnori amazingly captured the different elements, even making the ground vibrate with percussion like a real bolt of thunder.  

By the end of the event, attendees received a proper glimpse into East Asian culture, whether it was through dance, music, or a bountiful plate of Corner 17’s offerings.

“I’m really grateful that we had so many wonderful performers come up with those pieces and performances in a pretty short time,” Sun said. “I think they all did a really great job, and I’m amazed at the students.”