Mid-Autumn poetry gathering held in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — “A Moonment to Remember” Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering and the 10th Anniversary Celebration of China Cultural Center in Sri Lanka were held in Colombo on Monday.
The event was attended by more than 200 people, including the Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Counselor Jin Qian, as well as envoys from various countries to Sri Lanka and overseas Chinese in the country.
Abeywardena said the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals in China, and the Sri Lankan Poya Day (full-moon day) is also important in the country’s culture and people’s lives. Such cultural integration reminds us of the traditional friendship between the two countries, and the celebration is also an inheritance of this friendship, he said.
Qi said the moon carries the aspirations and hopes of both the Chinese and Sri Lankan people for a better life. It connects us and draws our hearts closer, building a bridge of cultural understanding between our two nations. This evening’s activity conveys the heartfelt wishes for reunion, allowing us to experience the resonance of our hearts during the warm and festive occasion, said the ambassador.
During the event, students from Sri Lanka Lumbini Confucius Classroom recited classic Chinese poems. Folk songs were also played by Chinese intangible cultural heritage music instruments, showing Mid-Autumn Festival culture and the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Sri Lankan civilizations.
The Exhibition of 10 Years’ Journey of China Cultural Center in Sri Lanka was held simultaneously on site, reviewing more than 300 activities the center has promoted in the past 10 years for cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. ■