Overview
The Bendigo Chinese Association is hosting their Annual Harvest Moon Festival at the Dai Gum San Chinese Precinct from 3:00 p.m. on the Grand Final Public Holiday, Friday, September 27th, 2024. This is a free community event.
To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, the festival will be opened this year by Gwong Loong, the 30–metre–long Bright Dragon, and Yar Loong, the night dragon, who is a 34 metres long.
Entertaining performances of Lion Dance supported by other cultural community groups including the Indian Association of Bendigo will run until 7:00 p.m.
The Bendigo Chinese Association will also run a lantern-making activity and colouring area for kids, with a fee of $5.00 per lantern.
At 5:00 p.m., children will have a chance to parade their lanterns in the festival.
There will also be the oppoprtunity to purchase a variety of mooncakes, a traditional dessert eaten during the festival.
At the conclusion, members of the public will be treated to watching the dragons and lions return to their homes and a spectacular display of firecrackers.
Food vendors from Bendigo and surrounding areas will be available from 3:00 p.m.
For many cultures throughout the world, the Harvest Moon Festival celebrates three fundamental concepts that are closely tied to one another:
• The gathering or reunion of family and friends coming together.
• The giving of thanks for a plentiful harvest and harmonious relationships.
• The hope for longevity and prosperity is a good future.
The Harvest Moon Festival is a significant celebration for the Chinese people, no matter where they live. In China, the festival marks the return of people to their homes to be with family and friends after the end of the harvest season.
In Australia, the festival falls during early spring, so for the Chinese of Bendigo and Australia, it holds a special meaning, marking the end of winter.
