Inverness Chinese community welcomes Consul General in visit coinciding with Moon Festival
MEMBERS of the Highland Chinese community welcomed a special visitor to Inverness.
The Scottish Highlands & Islands and Moray Chinese Association, which was founded in 2004, has over 550 members.
The charity, which is a non-political, non-religious and not-for-profit organisation, provides a platform and a voice for the Chinese community, access to information and provision of activities for older folk.
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SHIMCA welcomed a visit by the Chinese Consul General, Zhang Biao, to its Inverness base.
The SHIMCA centre also hosts Mandarin language classes for children.
The visit coincided with the Mid-Autumn festival, often known as the Moon Festival. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture and on a par with Chinese New Year.
The history of the festival dates back over 3000 years. Similar festivals are celebrated by other cultures in East and Southeast Asia.
During the festival, lanterns of all size and shapes – which symbolize beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good fortune – are carried and displayed. Moon cakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology.
