'It's a day of reunion with kith and kin,' explains Drs. Jianjun Zhu, President of the 200 member-strong Chinese Union of Students and Scholars in Twente (CUSST), addressing the significance of the forthcoming mid-autumn holiday on September 21, in accordance with the Chinese calendar. 'It is a day to remember the mainstay of the household: father, brother, husband or son, who have had to relinquish the proximity of family members to earn the bread for the family,' says Zhu. Gathering with family members is the order of the day.
Legend has it that a handsome young man, Hou Yi, was endowed with a wondrous medicine having the power to confer immortality on its swallower under the condition that he not share it with his wife, Chang E. Out of love and respect for his wife, Hou Yi preferred not to use it and asked her to hide it safely. Unfortunately, a villain having learned of this immortality potion conspired to steal it. He terrorized Chang E to hand over the magic medicine, but she refused and instead gulped it herself. In light of her newly acquired eternal status, she chose to remain close to her beloved by making the moon her abode. Spotting the presence of his wife in the moon, Hou Yi was shattered and sought to console himself for the irreparable loss. Remembrance of this moon-woman lends the mid-autumn festival its significance; moon cakes in her honor are a culinary ritual.
According to Zhu, CUSST plays a crucial role for Chinese members of the UT community by periodically organizing cultural activities such as weekend sports, informal discussions, movie shows, seminars, sightseeing tours and barbecues. To kick off the school year, with the support of the Chinese Embassy in The Hague and the International Office, CUSST will screen two movies, 'Challenge Amazon'(Chinese) and 'Gua Sha'(English), on September 21. The former is an action thriller showing the experiences of two Chinese soldiers undergoing training in the tropical rain forests of South America. The latter depicts the travails of a Chinese family settled in the U.S. Zhu opines, 'Movies are the best medium to showcase the richness of one's culture.' Everyone, irrespective of nationality, is cordially invited to the screening for this rare glimpse into Chinese culture.
Sat 21 Sept, Vrijhof Playhouse, 1 pm, free of charge
