Christchurch, New Zealand’s largest city in the South Island, will host the first South Island Moon Festival in October 2020, which aims to create a unique multicultural brand, a drawcard event, and increase the number of international visitors to the city.
The South Island Moon Festival, to be held annually, will be a time for Christchurch residents and visitors from East Asia to spend time with their loved ones to “watch the full moon, eat mooncakes and recite moon poems,” Joanna Norris, CEO of ChristchurchNZ, the city’s economic development and city profile agency, said on Tuesday.
It will be “a celebration of culture, art, food, music, community and nature,” Norris told the crowd at Tuesday’s announcement of the festival, adding lanterns are lit and the streets are filled with dance, music, and the arts, while people feast on traditional mooncakes.
Moon festivals, traditionally celebrated in China and much of Asia, represent an opportunity to bring families and communities together to celebrate the harvest and the full moon, a symbol of harmony and unity.
