Appreciating Autumn Colors, Tasting Folk Customs, and Reminiscing Traditions during the Double Festival
Beijing Daily reporter Dai Lili
Municipal parks in Beijing are set to launch classic park activities in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday. The Chinese Garden Museum and various parks will offer garden activities and cloud tours for tourists to enjoy the autumn season and reunite with loved ones. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival event, “Full Moon in Beijing and Love for China”, is the highlight of the National Day amusement park. The event will be divided into on-site and online categories, allowing visitors to appreciate autumn colors, experience folk customs, and reminisce about the Mid-Autumn Festival and traditional traditions.
To welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, the National Botanical Garden has completed the decoration of two three-dimensional flower beds. One of the flower beds, named “Fengming Chaoyang”, stands out against the blue sky and white clouds, attracting many tourists to take photos and enjoy the flowers.
In collaboration with the Central Conservatory of Music, Temple of Heaven Park will perform Zhonghe Shao music in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. This unique performance combines ancient architecture, ancient music and dance, and will be live-streamed through the 5G network. Zizhuyuan Park’s Youxian Mountain Pavilion will hold a theme concert to promote traditional culture through music, paper-cutting, and candy painting. The Chinese Garden Museum will showcase an immersive folk music performance that expresses emotions about the landscape and the reunion of family and country.
Other parks such as Zhongshan Park, Xiangshan Park, Taoranting Park, and Yuyuantan Park will also offer various traditional activities, including pot throwing games, making Chinese medicine sachets, creating sweet-scented osmanthus fans, and crafting flower handheld lanterns.
On October 1, the Municipal Park Management Center will organize National Day-themed activities in municipal parks. Xiangshan Park will offer an in-depth tour called “Red Fragrant Mountain in My Eyes”, where visitors can listen to revolutionary stories and participate in interactive activities related to China’s revolutionary history. Zhongshan Park will recruit young people to guide young tourists and promote the “I Grow Together with the Motherland” volunteer explanation activity. Taoranting Park will launch a red real-life classroom that allows visitors to explore revolutionary sites and learn about the park’s red history. The Summer Palace will hold an event where visitors can participate in painting activities to express their blessings for the motherland. Yuyuantan Park will lead children to create National Day scrolls and visit an exhibition that showcases the red-themed heritage. Jingshan Park will feature exhibition boards that explain the origin and history of National Day.
Throughout the long holiday, there will be a variety of garden activities, exhibitions, and concerts in municipal parks. The “Yihe Autumn Rhythm” Osmanthus Cultural Exhibition, City Flower Chrysanthemum Exhibition, “North and South Famous Gardens Harmony Competition” Garden V Cultural Relics Exhibition, and “Musical Gardens” concert will be presented together, allowing visitors to appreciate autumn flowers, cultural exhibitions, and enjoy the musical performances.
This year, the Municipal Park Management Center’s high-quality cultural relics exhibition series, “Garden Talk”, will enter its fifth phase. The exhibition will focus on famous Chinese classical gardens in the Jiangnan area and Beijing surrounding areas during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Summer Palace Museum and the Dehe Garden Theater Exhibition Hall will simultaneously display the development overview, artistic value, and cultural characteristics of gardens in the south and north. The “Yihe Autumn Rhythm” Osmanthus Cultural Exhibition, known as a traditional autumn flower viewing brand, will display a wide variety of osmanthus plants in different scenic areas, including century-old osmanthus collected in the garden.
The National Botanical Garden (North Garden) and Taoranting Park will hold month-long chrysanthemum viewing activities. Zhongshan Park will showcase a flower boutique exhibition called “Spring Flowers and Autumn Fruits”, presenting a mix of spring flowers and autumn fruit ornamental plants. The China Garden Museum and the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum in Chengdu will host the “Sichuan Style Bonsai Art Exhibition”, showcasing the artistic beauty of Sichuan style bonsai.
The Beijing International Music Festival will also launch the “Music Garden” series in collaboration with the Municipal Park Management Center. The Temple of Heaven Park will be the premiere venue for this series, offering three lunchtime concerts during the holiday. Additionally, the park will present the “Rituals and Music to Prosper the Nation” series of performances online for eight consecutive days, allowing visitors to celebrate the National Day with music.
Furthermore, the municipal park will organize 47 popular science activities, including cultural experiences, popular science classes, outdoor tours, and natural exploration. These activities will spread ecological civilization and showcase the beauty of garden science.
The Municipal Park Management Center reminds tourists to plan their itinerary wisely and purchase tickets online in advance, as peak tourist periods are expected at popular park spots like the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday. Visitors are advised to follow @长游park and the public accounts of municipal parks in Beijing to stay updated on park activities and visit the park during off-peak hours.