Confucius Institute to host Moon Festival

People in the Augusta area may share in a taste of Chinese culture as Georgia Regents University celebrates the Moon Festival and Confucius Institute Day on Oct. 1.

“The Moon Festival and Confucius Institute Day will be a fun family event where people can learn a new tradition,” Confucius Institute Director Dr. Cindi Chance said. “It’s a unique way of celebrating family, and it’s very much like our American Thanksgiving.”

The free event will feature traditional Chinese music and dance, including the lion dance. The lion is an important Chinese legend, a symbol of power, majesty and courage, capable of warding off evil spirits. A Chinese lantern parade will traverse the Summerville campus.

People are encouraged to bring homemade lanterns to the parade and enter them in the lantern competition. Lanterns should be illuminated, but no flames are allowed. Judges will give $100 awards for biggest lantern, most creative and most culturally relevant. The best lantern out of these three will earn its maker a cultural gift.

People will also have a chance to taste Chinese moon cakes, and moon pies will be served.

“We will have one table that will have moon cakes and hot tea and another that will have moon pies and lemonade,” Chance said.

The Moon Festival and Confucius Institute Day celebration will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the D. Doug Bernard Jr. Amphitheatre on the Summerville campus. In case of rain, the festival will be held in the JSAC ballroom.

To register for the lantern contest, please e-mail Yilin Lou at ylou@gru.edu. The first 100 people who register will receive a free lantern and light. The first 200 will receive a free lig