New York’s Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival: A First Time Perspective

Every year, on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Lunar Calendar is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Celebrated in China and other parts of Asia, the Mid-Autumn Festival–also known as the Mooncake Festival–is celebrated to commemorate the moon at its fullest, and its corresponding harvest time.

As a newcomer to New York, and an American born Chinese, I hoped to experience some of the culture of the Asian diaspora here first-hand. The event, called the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival, took place in Manhattan’s Chinatown and was hosted by the Asian American Arts Alliance (AAAA), a group “dedicated to strengthening Asian American artists and cultural groups through resource sharing, promotion, and community building”.  With the intent to create a full narrative with interviews of festivalgoers, and a strong desire to experience the festival for myself, I marked it on my calendar, and set out.

My expectations going in were lion dances, a night market, lanterns with riddles on them, incense, and mooncakes. Arriving at the festival around 4:30pm, my friend and I were greeted by the bustling of the market. Stalls were set up, with more of the classic Chinatown decorations than normal hung up. Though the weather was dreary, the crowd was well alive. The sounds of flute music, and the smell of stinky tofu filled the air. Wanting to interview one of the passersby for this blog, I stood frozen in hesitation for about two minutes before I found the courage to talk to one of them. Unfortunately, my first attempt was met with a polite refusal, but that didn’t deter me from enjoying the festival, which I realized was so busy that there was no space to stop anyone for an interview. There were some tourists there, but the majority of the crowd seemed to be made up of local residents. Some adults and children were dressed in traditional clothing, adding a touch of authenticity to the event.

Art played a significant role at the festival, and we came across an artist’s booth showcasing stylized prints of martial artists. The artist, Gian Galang, a Filipino artist and illustrator, shared his passion for martial arts and his artistic journey with us. He was well known in the community for painting a prominent mural on Doyers Street. He also did commercial art for different companies such as the UFC and HBO. We purchased one of his striking art pieces, a testament to the fusion of various Asian cultures in New York City.

Another interesting booth highlighted the rich history of Cantonese people in America. They offered workshops to preserve Cantonese language and showcased demonstrations that elaborated on the contributions of Cantonese workers to the transcontinental railroad.

Of course, no festival is complete without trying the food. Some of the stalls sold boba tea, desserts, and even offered classes on how to make said desserts. My friend purchased some stinky tofu, and I purchased a shrimp dish, which included rice cakes inside. I had high expectations for the stinky tofu, considering how pungent the smell was, and how often it was prepared at these kinds of night markets. Both of the foods were delicious, and they were definitely unique to the point that one would not usually find them being served in Manhattan.

By the time we finished, night had come. This was supposed to be the time when the festival was really celebrated. As we explored the changing atmosphere, we saw more and more people dressed in traditional garb, as well as more people carrying lanterns. Large, intricate cameras were being set up to capture this vibrant procession, and hordes of people carrying cameras huddled around them. More and more tourists began to gather throughout the street, and owing to the newfound darkness, the number of lanterns progressively began to grow. Many different colored paper lanterns emerged, and a fish lantern, held by a towering stick, began to swim above the crowd.

As we continued through, we heard faint drumming. Following the noise led us to Columbus park, where we saw people glued to the fence of the basketball court, entranced. On the court were lion dancers, dancing in the darkness with nothing but two sticks of light held in each hand. I was mesmerized, watching the synchronization between the two separate lions, and the two dancers in each lion. The dancing, coupled with the drumming, was boisterous and rowdy, as the dramatic movements followed the loud thumping of each drum beat. It amazed me that what seemed to be the main draw of the festival was so far from the main street.

Tuckered out, and having seen everything, my friend and I decided to complete our experience with the festival’s namesake: mooncakes. Heading into a bakery, we took advantage of the buy one get one free, and left with four egg yolk mooncakes. As with everything else we had that day, it was delicious.

My identity as a newcomer made me a stranger to this festival. Because of this, I found myself stepping out of my comfort zone to immerse myself in an unexpected yet familiar culture. However, with every corner I turned, I, as a Chinese American, found a newfound appreciation for the celebration of culture that persisted within Manhattan, as well as a deeper understanding of my own roots. The presence of music, dance, food, and clothing brings a sense of community to an otherwise restless city. For readers like me, who are not used to these cultural celebrations, I urge you to seek them out–not only to help enrich your local communities, but to venture beyond your own cultural background. You never know what enchanting experiences you may find.

Featured image: Aden Hsu