As the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2024 approaches, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has meticulously planned and launched several initiatives: the "Beijing Colorful Lantern Festival," 10 themed travel routes for sunset viewing and romantic moon-watching under the theme "Stroll Through Beijing," 12 golden autumn countryside art tour routes, and the "Beijing Under the Moonlight" night tour recommendations. The city will host 678 various cultural activities and 896 performances.

The lantern festival and garden tours offer a visual feast

From September 14 to October 31, the "Beijing Colorful Lantern Festival" – 2024 Beijing Mid-Autumn and National Day Lantern Garden Party – will be held at the Fengtai District Beijing Garden Expo. The park has meticulously planned nine major thematic areas, with over 200 sets of lanterns and more than 100,000 lantern decorations on display. This will be the largest, most investment-intensive, and most concentrated festival of intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship ever held in Beijing, promising a true visual feast. Additionally, various districts will host a range of vibrant garden and lantern festival activities.

Public cultural service institutions at all levels across the city have carefully planned activities for the Mid-Autumn Festival, including poetry recitals, special exhibitions, parent-child reading sessions, and knowledge quizzes, allowing residents to celebrate the festival and enjoy the charm of literature. Additionally, the Beijing Library will offer more than 20 cultural activities.

Various districts and organizations will also host a range of colorful Mid-Autumn Festival folk experience activities. Dongcheng District will hold the "Echoes of the Times" red memory intangible cultural heritage exhibition at Longfu Temple South Street, and invite 12 intangible cultural heritage inheritors to create a "Night Tour of the Corner Tower" intangible cultural heritage night event at the Corner Tower Library. Shijingshan District will organize handmade experience activities, including circular fa, aeolian bells, Paint face, kites, and cloisonne at the district cultural center. Fengtai District will host a Mid-Autumn Festival intangible cultural heritage reunion market at the intangible cultural heritage display and experience center.

A lineup of excellent performances from both domestic and international artists will take the stage

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, themed performances, major theatrical shows, and a rotating selection of excellent domestic and international performances will be staged.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the National Peking Opera Company will present a special Peking Opera performance titled "Looking at the Moon and Longing for One Far Away" at the National Centre for the Performing Arts' Small Theatre, showcasing classic masterpieces. The Jingju Theater Company of Beijing will host two events: a performance commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Cheng Yanqiu at the Chang'an Grand Theatre and the Shunyi Grand Theatre, featuring famous Peking Opera arias and the classic play "Farewell My Concubine." Additionally, venues such as the Jixiang Grand Theatre, Huguang Guild Hall, and the Paint Guild Hall will offer a variety of traditional opera performances.

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, a variety of themed music performances will take place. The National Centre for the Performing Arts Concert Hall will host the China Broadcast Chinese Orchestra's "A Moonlit Night on the Autumn River" concert. The Beijing Comedy Theatre will present the Beijing Chinese Orchestra's "National Style Grand Ceremony" – a traditional music concert titled "Blossoms and Full Moon." The Forbidden City Concert Hall and the China Puppet Theatre's Kaku Theatre will each offer a special Mid-Autumn concert: "Joyful Autumn—Dutch Trio Baroque Night" and "Chasing the Moon with Colorful Clouds—Mid-Autumn Family Concert," respectively. During the "Beijing Grand Theatre Showcase Season" for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the "Grand Theatre Showcase Unit" will feature high-quality productions such as the ballet "Red Detachment of Women."

International masterpieces will also be featured during the festival. The Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center will present the French musical "Notre-Dame de Paris," a milestone in the global tour and residency of French musicals. The Cao Yu Theatre will stage the German Froschmännchen Theater's classic production "The Manor of Joy and Sorrow." Additionally, Maria Carey's Beijing concert, Wang Yuan's 2024 "Living Room Party" concert, and the 2024 Mayuan Poets' "My Station" concert will take place at the Beijing Workers Stadium, Wukesong Arena, and the National Speed Skating Oval, respectively, offering a "double surprise" of international and domestic musical performances.

Follow the themed travel routes to enjoy moon-gazing

On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has designed and launched 10 themed travel routes under the "Stroll Through Beijing" program, including "Jingshan Park on the Central Axis: Chase the Most Beautiful Sunset," "Beijing Olympic Tower on the North Central Axis: Chase the Brightest Sunset," and "Feiyan Platform on the South Central Axis: Chase the Most Vivid Sunset," among others, for sunset viewing and romantic moon-gazing.

At the same time, 12 golden autumn countryside art tour routes have been introduced, covering rural art galleries, art markets, and unique village cafes, showcasing various rural tourism resources.

Additionally, the highly anticipated 2024 "Beijing Under the Moonlight" night tour recommendations list features 60 unique cultural and tourism projects highlighting the capital's night economy. This list includes diverse elements and new trends in Beijing's nighttime cultural and tourism resources, such as scenic parks, commercial night markets, waterfront economies, theme parks, cultural and creative parks, theaters, and various cultural and sports events.

Information about the night tour recommendations list will be gradually released on the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism's official website, as well as on the "Visit Beijing" Weibo and WeChat accounts.

Translator: BAI Jing

Reviewer: WANG Yu