New Zealand’s Asian communities celebrate harvest festivals
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Across New Zealand, Asian communities are celebrating mid-autumn festivals rooted in harvest traditions and the full moon. Celebrations vary by culture, with Vietnamese communities marking Tết Trung Thu as a children’s festival and South Koreans observing Chuseok, also known as Hangawi.
Events in cities like Auckland, Lower Hutt, and Christchurch offer opportunities to share these traditions with the wider public. Viet Hub NZ is hosting the Moonlit Memories Festival in Lower Hutt, featuring lion dancing, crafts, and traditional Vietnamese food.
The event aims to help Vietnamese children in New Zealand maintain a connection to their heritage, allowing them to embrace both their Kiwi and Vietnamese identities. Similarly, the University of Canterbury Korean Society is holding its annual Chuseok Festival with performances of traditional music, dance, and demonstrations of martial arts, giving Korean students and families a taste of home. Japanese communities traditionally celebrate Tsukimi, or moon viewing, with poetry, music, and food like tsukimi dango rice dumplings.
Libraries and community groups in Auckland are hosting events to share these traditions with local families. Some events, such as one at the Epsom Community Centre, are combining Chinese and Korean traditions, offering activities like making mooncakes and songpyeon rice cakes. Organisers hope these festivals will foster cultural understanding and a sense of belonging for all Aucklanders.
