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Expats perform on stage during the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival Friendship Gathering for Foreign Friends in Jiaxing. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_dce4a5933cde]

Over 50 guests from 15 countries gathered on Sept 27 in Xincheng town, Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, for the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival Friendship Gathering for Foreign Friends in Jiaxing and an ancient town tour.

The event offered an immersive cultural exchange platform for international residents working, studying, and living in Jiaxing.

The program began with hands-on workshops led by Cheng Zhirong, a local mooncake baker, where participants kneaded dough, filled pastry, and pressed molds to craft traditional Xincheng mooncakes. Later, they created rabbit-shaped lanterns, decorating them with drawings and messages. Yulia from Russia said she was thrilled to make her first Chinese pastry, adding that the round and sweet mooncake symbolized reunion and happiness.

The event also featured performances by international guests, including recitations of poems by Li Bai and Su Shi, energetic dances, and songs such as the Russian folk piece Katyusha, which added a cross-cultural warmth to the gathering.

Before the fellowship, participants toured Xincheng ancient town, walking along stone-paved alleys and visiting historic landmarks, including the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree.