As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches in 2024, to meet the cultural and tourism needs of the public during the holiday, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has carefully planned various activities. They will launch the "Jingcai Lantern Festival," ten themed sunset viewing and romantic moon appreciation tour routes under the "Strolling in Beijing" initiative, 12 golden autumn rural art tour routes, and a recommended list for "Beijing Under the Moonlight" night tours. Various districts and departments are actively enhancing cultural and tourism activities and product offerings, introducing 678 cultural events and 896 performances to enrich the holiday experiences of residents and tourists.
Grand lantern festival for Mid-Autumn Festival celebration
The Lantern Festival, with its long history, is one of the most distinctive folk arts of excellent traditional Chinese culture. From September 14 to October 31, the "Jingcai Lantern Festival" will be held at the Garden Expo Park in Fengtai District, featuring nine carefully planned thematic areas: "Festival Joy, Beijing Color Avenue, Beautiful Mountains and Rivers, Beijing Trend Colors, Colorful Childhood Dreams, Grand Performances in Beijing, Radiant China, Dance of the Phoenix in the Sky, and Gathering of Beijing Colorful Life." This year’s festival is expected to showcase over 200 sets of lanterns and more than 100,000 decorative lantern pieces, making it the largest and most lavish lantern festival in Beijing’s history, with a significant concentration of intangible cultural heritage craftsmen, promising a visual feast. In addition, various districts will continue to host a rich array of park activities and lantern events. Dongcheng District will hold the "Full Moon over the Capital, Affection for China" Mid-Autumn Festival activities, organizing a Mid-Autumn poetry gathering, folk music concert, and traditional cultural night park event. Xicheng District will host community activities at Yuetan Park, featuring folk art performances, lantern riddles, reunion messages, and interactive games. Chaoyang District will present the 20th Anzhen Community Lantern Festival, which will include lantern riddles, Hanfu photo opportunities, and neighborhood lantern displays. Yanqing District will host the Dushan Night Moon Mid-Autumn Cultural Festival, showcasing cultural performances, tourism promotions, and themed live broadcasts.
As the fragrance of books fills the air, poetry recitals and lectures convey cultural richness during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Public cultural institutions across the city have carefully organized a variety of activities, including poetry readings, themed exhibitions, parent-child reading sessions, and quiz competitions, allowing citizens to celebrate the festival while enjoying literary delights. The Beijing Library will host over 20 cultural events, including exhibitions, lectures, parent-child reading sessions, and hands-on experiences. Highlights include a chrysanthemum-themed poetry reading and appreciation, a music sharing concert, a China-France cultural exchange exhibition, and an immersive reading experience. Haidian, Fangshan, and Miyun districts will host Mid-Autumn Festival poetry recitals. Changping District will present a calligraphy and painting exhibition, while Huairou District will organize a book fair, creating a rich literary atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a series of high-quality performances will take place. Chaoyang District will host a themed national music concert titled "Beautiful Flowers and Full Moon, Rhythms of Mid-Autumn Festival" at the north lawn of China Central Place. Fengtai District will present a variety show celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and a classical Chinese music appreciation event. Tongzhou District will feature excellent performances for the public, while the Economic Development Zone will host a Mid-Autumn Festival symphony concert titled "Full Moon in Beijing, Ties to China."
Folk customs will bring vibrancy to the Mid-Autumn Festival, with intangible cultural heritage activities showcasing traditional culture. To promote excellent Chinese folk customs, various districts and organizations will organize colorful Mid-Autumn folk experience activities to engage citizens. Dongcheng District will host the "Echoes of the Era" Red Memory Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition at Longfu Temple South Square, inviting 12 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage to create the "Night Tour of the Corner Tower" event at the Corner Tower Library. Shijingshan District will conduct hands-on experiences with fans, wind chimes, masks, kites, and cloisonné at the District Cultural Center, themed "Full Moon in Beijing, Ties to China." Fengtai District will organize a Mid-Autumn Festival Reunion Market at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and Experience Center.
Themed performances, grand opera showcases, and outstanding plays from China and abroad staged in rotation
The National Peking Opera Company will present a special Mid-Autumn Festival concert titled "Wishing on the Moon" at the small theater of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, featuring classics such as Princess Baihua Presents a Sword and Melon Garden Brawl. The Beijing Jingju Theater will commemorate the 120th anniversary of master Cheng Yanqiu's birth with concerts at the Chang'an Grand Theatre and Shunyi Grand Theatre, showcasing famous Peking opera arias and the classic performance Farewell My Concubine. The Jixiang Theatre, Hubei Guild Hall, and Yanliao Guild Hall will also feature operatic performances, including The Prophetic Paintings: Tiger Assassination, Cheng Ying Rescuing the Orphan, and Chen Sanliang.
Theme music celebrates the festival. The National Centre for the Performing Arts will present the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra's Mid-Autumn Festival concert, "Autumn River, Flower, and Moon Night." The Beijing Comedy Theatre will host a national style celebration concert featuring the Beijing Chinese Orchestra's Mid-Autumn music program, "Blossoms and Full Moon." The Beijing Comedy Theatre will present the Beijing Chinese Orchestra's 'National Style Gala: Traditional Music Masterpieces – “Blossoms and Full Moon” Mid-Autumn Concert.' Forbidden City Concert Hall and the Chinese Puppet Theatre's Kaku Theatre will respectively present "Musical Delight for Mid-Autumn" featuring a Dutch trio's Baroque night concert and "Chasing the Moon" — a parent-child Mid-Autumn music concert.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival of the "Grand Performances in Beijing" 2024 Show Season, the "Grand Theatre Performance Unit" will present high-quality productions, including the ballet Red Detachment of Women. The "New Performance Space Unit" will feature immersive drama Fighting of Art, while the "Premium Performance in Universities Unit" will showcase the Peking Opera Jade Hairpin.
Outstanding international works are continuously showcased. The Tianqiao Performing Arts Centre in Beijing will present the French musical Notre-Dame de Paris, marking a milestone as the first French musical to embark on a global tour and residency. The Cao Yu Theatre will feature the classic production Feste by the German Flöz Theater.
The popularity of large concerts remains high during the holiday season. Mariah Carey's concert in Beijing, Wang Yuan's "Living Room Carnival" concert for 2024, and the Mayuan Poet’s "This Stop is Mayuan" concert will take place at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, Huaxi LIVE Wukesong, and the National Speed Skating Oval, offering a double surprise from both domestic and international artists.
Additionally, the city's Bureau of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with Music Weekly, will launch the "Chinese Opera and Song Creation Program: Concert of Outstanding Original Opera and Song Works," which will air online on September 17 at 19:00 on the official video accounts of Cultural Tourism Beijing and Music Weekly on Douyin.
Launching moon viewing-themed and golden autumn rural art roaming routes and "Beijing Under the Moonlight" night tour recommendation list
In anticipation of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the city's Cultural and Tourism Bureau has curated recommended spots for sunset watching and moon viewing in Beijing. Ten themed routes have been designed, including "Chasing the Most Beautiful Sunset at Jingshan Park along the Central Axis," "Chasing the Brightest Sunset at the Olympic Tower along the North Central Axis," and "Chasing the Most Vivid Sunset at Feiyan Platform along the South Central Axis," all aimed at creating a festive atmosphere.
Additionally, twelve golden Autumn rural art roaming routes have been launched, including "Village Café Light Conversations: Autumn Meets Art Villages" (Wa Art Museum – Brickyard Hotel -- Xinying Village -- Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Area), "Books Accompanying Autumn Light: Afternoon Tea Conversations in Autumn" (Sijihuahai (Four Seasons Flower Sea) -- Heihanling Village -- Dajixiang Village), and "Exhibition and Bird Watching: Autumn Fun" (Huoshaoying Village -- Rural Aesthetic Education Museum -- Yeyahu (Wild Duck Lake)). These routes highlight rural art museums, artistic markets, and unique village cafés, complemented by the surrounding autumn scenery of red leaves and flower seas. They are ideal for citizens and tourists to experience rural life during the Mid-Autumn Festival and golden autumn, fully enjoying the vibrant beauty of rural living.
In addition, the 2024 "Beijing Under the Moonlight" night tour recommendation list has been launched, featuring 60 unique cultural tourism projects that highlight the night economy in the capital. This includes attractions like the Badaling Great Wall, Olympic Forest Park, Qianmendajie(St), Nanluoguxiang, Panjiayuan Cultural Night Market, Liangma River Waterfront, 798·751 Art District, Beijing Books Building, the "Jingcai Lantern Festival" Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Lantern Fair, Jinhai Lake Bibo Island Campsite, and "北京(Beijing)" character cycling routes. These projects encompass a wide range of nighttime cultural tourism resources and new business formats, including scenic spots, parks, commercial night markets, waterfront economies, theme parks, cultural innovation zones, theaters, and various cultural and sports activities, providing residents and visitors with diverse new options and experiences for nighttime leisure during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. Information related to the night tour recommendation list will be released gradually on the official website of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, as well as on the "Wenlv Beijing" Weibo and WeChat accounts.
Hotels and scenic spots launch series of activities for the Mid-Autumn Festival
Our city’s hotel industry is embracing the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival by offering a range of products and activities to enrich market offerings and create a festive atmosphere. Beijing Jinlongtan Yurui Hotel has introduced several special Mid-Autumn packages and mooncake gift boxes, adorning public spaces with colorful lanterns and organizing interactive activities such as riddle guessing, DIY Tanghulu, mooncake making, and cotton candy, allowing guests to participate in the creation process for a delightful experience. Beijing Jingyan Hotel has launched the "Mid-Autumn Festival Gift, Special Room Rate" event, suitable for family gatherings, excursions around Beijing, and visits to cultural landmarks like Shougang Park. Beijing Shangri-La Hotel is hosting the "K20 Funkids" event, where participants can sign up to engage in arts and crafts, mooncake making, fun games, movie screenings, and swimming lessons. Beijing Wukuang Junlan Hotel is celebrating both the Mid-Autumn Festival and its anniversary with a series of activities themed " Have Fun with Family and Go HI," featuring Hanfu photo sessions, intangible cultural heritage workshops, wish lantern riddle nights, and interactive games for children.
Currently, 27 A-level scenic spots in the city will host nearly 100 cultural activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival, including science education, intangible cultural heritage interactions, garden tours, and performances. Notable events include a flower exhibition at Olympic Forest Park, Mid-Autumn Festival garden tours and performances at the Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Scenic Area, and immersive night performances at Jingshan Park.
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cultural tourism activities make a timely debut
On September 15, the thematic exchange and promotion event celebrating the 10th anniversary of coordinated cultural tourism development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, along with the 2024 "Jingdong Leisure Tourism Demonstration Zone" cultural tourism joint promotion activities, will be held at the Jinhai Lake Scenic Area in Pinggu District. Beijing’s Pinggu District, Tianjin’s Jizhou and Baodi Districts, and Hebei’s Sanhe City, Zunhua City, and Xinglong County will work together to create an exciting cultural tourism feast. During this event, the six areas will jointly launch a series of featured tourism routes, including Jingdong parent-child entertainment tours, Jingdong nature and ecology tours, and Jingdong leisure experience tours. They will also introduce cultural tourism vouchers benefiting citizens from these six regions. A total of 21 scenic spots will participate in this discount program, with each district providing 10,000 vouchers. Residents from the six regions can enjoy reduced ticket prices when using these vouchers.
