College Seminar Writing

Giang Anh N Ha Because I was in Chinese Class this semester, the professor required us to attend the Chinese Moon Festival which was held by the Chinese Club in Juniata College. At first I really did not enjoy it at all because I am from Vietnam, and I already know what Moon Festival is. However, in the end of the day, I realized that I would regret it if I did not go to that event. I was absolutely amazed. It was not a traditional event like I thought it would be. When I heard about this event, I thought they would simply gather us into a circle and feed us with moon cake and talk about the history of the Moon festival, which I already heard thousands of times before. But it was totally different from what I had imagined. First of all, I was absolutely wrong when I thought that China and Vietnam celebrated the Moon Festival in the same way. In Vietnam, the Moon Festival is more open. This means that usually you will get out of your house and celebrate the festival on the streets with other people. It is likely a festival which is favored more by children than adults. Another difference between the Vietnamese and the Chinese Moon Festivals are the big dishes of fruits that are shaped into the shape of animals. The Chinese Moon Festival is more likely held among family members only. The taste of the Chinese moon cake is also different, usually sweeter. Secondly, the most interesting aspect of the festival to me is that it was combination of the ancient China that we usually know about through history books and the modern China performed by the Chinese students in Juniata College. They performed a very wonderful modern Chinese dance which showed a lot of hard work. They also told us about the super stars in China, Chinese politics and all of other activities that Chinese teenagers usually do. This event is not only a great opportunity to know about China but also an opportunity to know new people. I really loved this event and I definitely will go to