Over 100 foreign students celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival in Tianjin

A total of 120 contestants in the 19th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students gathered at Yangliuqing Ancient Town in Xiqing district of Tianjin on Tuesday evening for Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, tasting mooncakes, making lacquer fans, blowing sugar figurines and watching folk performances.

As colorful lanterns lit up the millennium-old town, folk shows, intangible cultural heritage displays and local snacks drew residents and visitors alike. For the young Chinese-language learners, the special evening offered a hands-on encounter with traditional Chinese culture during one of the country's most cherished family festivals.

Celine Camila Rocha Sousa, a contestant from Cape Verde, tried the traditional pitch-pot game for the first time and scored on her first throw, drawing applause.

"I think strength control is very important in this game. It's great fun," she said, showing a dress blending Cape Verdean and Chinese elements that she designed for the event.

"These are my two favorite countries. I hope to come to China to study through the Chinese Bridge and make more Chinese friends."

The evening's poetry gala featured recitals of classical poems, traditional dance and singing. Young dancers brought Yangliuqing woodblock New Year paintings to life, while clapper talk performers and acrobats, whose jar-balancing act drew contestants onto the stage, added to the festive atmosphere.

Martial arts displays highlighted the depth of Chinese kung fu culture. Contestants in traditional Chinese costumes also performed songs, and a poem-relay game saw Chinese and foreign students recite classic lines such as "Raise my cup and invite the bright moon" and "Pick chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence" to celebrate the festival.

"Classical poetry has a captivating rhythm and deep emotions," Tumelo Rabolinyane from Lesotho said. "It's a totally different experience, and it opened a new world for me."