SUZHOU, China, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, during the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival, the cultural exchange event "Garden Reunion Under Moonlight" was held simultaneously at multiple overseas gardens, sister gardens of Suzhou gardens, and overseas cultural sites. Spanning four continents - North America, Oceania, Europe, and Asia - the event conveyed to the world the enduring wish for harmony and togetherness under the full moon.
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On September 19, amid the floating fragrance of osmanthus blossoms in Suzhou's Lingering Garden, French international students from the Suzhou campus of Renmin University of China gathered to learn about folk customs, sip osmanthus tea, taste mooncakes, and tour the classical garden. This "Suzhou International Day" event served not only as an immersive traditional cultural experience for foreign nationals in Suzhou, but also as the global opening of the Mid-Autumn cultural exchange program in overseas Chinese-style gardens.
From September 26 to 27 local time, Yili Garden, serving as one of the main venues, hosted a rich array of cultural and garden activities. Visitors gathered in the winding corridors to listen to Chinese myths, enjoy folk music performances, taste Mid-Autumn mooncakes, and try their hand at calligraphy. As night fell and darkness enveloped the garden, they strolled through the courtyards holding lanterns, immersing themselves in the poetic ambiance of a traditional Chinese moonlit night through the chanting of poetry, melodious music, and the delicate fragrance of tea.
Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, built by Suzhou artisans, held a four-day Mid-Autumn celebration starting September 25, featuring glowing lanterns, an Asian marketplace, dragon silk dance, and Chinese rabbit-shaped lanterns.
In 2026, Vancouver's Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden celebrated its 40th anniversary and 40th Mid-Autumn Moon Festival on September 26-27, featuring traditional music, dance, lion performances, lantern riddles, crafts, and Suzhou-style mooncakes.
At the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Sydney, Australia, captivating performances of Jiangnan song and dance, erhu (two-stringed fiddle), and pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect) took place one after another. Interactive displays of intangible cultural heritage such as Suzhou embroidery, Suzhou fans, Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints, and lacquered beads drew widespread attention.
At Lou Lim Ieoc Garden in Macao, China, citizens lined up to stamp commemorative event-themed seals, fanning themselves with custom-made bamboo round fans while browsing cultural brochures.
At the Chinese Consulate General in Manchester, UK, Martin Rowley, Deputy Lord Mayor of York, and Dr. Zhuang Wei, member of West Yorkshire Combined Authority LVEP Governace Board, extended their Mid-Autumn wishes.
At the University of York in the UK, faculty and students gathered together, sharing a special moment of reunion.
In Dublin, Ireland, at the Mid-Autumn dinner hosted by the Chinese Business Association of Ireland, the Irish Suzhou Garden added poetic charm to the occasion with the beauty of Jiangnan gardens. Special Mid-Autumn gifts from Suzhou were warmly received by Chinese and international guests.
With the support of sister gardens across the globe, Suzhou continues to bring China's outstanding traditional culture to the world. The Mid-Autumn celebrations held in overseas Chinese-style gardens represent both a steadfast preservation and inheritance of Chinese cultural traditions and a vivid practice of mutual learning and integration between Chinese and foreign cultures. They promote the elegance of Jiangnan worldwide and let the beautiful sentiment of reunion warm the globe.
Contact person: Ms. Tang, Tel: 86-10-63074558
