The moon rises above Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 17, 2024. The Mid-Autumn Festival in China, which is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar,

Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, produced by China Media Group (CMG), was broadcast to viewers around the world on Tuesday night. As a festival deeply rooted in Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival serves as a meaningful occasion for expressing longing for home and celebrating reunion.

Festival celebrations are underway in the U.S., honoring an ancient tradition rooted in East and Southeast Asian cultures. From lantern parades to mooncake tastings, families and communities across the country are coming together to admire the season’s full moon and embrace the togetherness symbolized by the occasion.

Photo taken on September 14 shows children making Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns at Longquan Street Central Kindergarten in Wuzhi County, Jiaozuo City, Central China's Henan Province.

Some 629.56 million passenger trips were handled by China's transportation sectors during the three-day holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival, up 31.1 percent year on year, data from the Ministry of Transport showed on Wednesday. Of the total, China recorded 42.57 million passenger trips by railway, 1.98 million by water, and 5.07 million by air.

Visitors take pictures of the grand lantern show on display at the Garden Expo Park on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Visitors look at the flowers shaped lantern lights display during the grand lantern show at the Garden Expo Park on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing,

When is Mid-Autumn Festival in 2024? And why is it celebrated? It’s time to hang a lantern and rip open a mooncake as we explore the meaning of this annual event.

The sharing of round mooncakes amongst family members during the week of the festival signifies the completeness and unity of families.