Inaugural Hunter Valley Moon Festival expected to attract large number of Chinese tourists from September 15-18

Also known as the mid-autumn festival, the moon festival is a celebration of harvest, thanksgiving and prayer for Vietnamese and Chinese people.

The origins of the festival date back to the Shang Dynasty (16th to 10th century BCE).

It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese Han calendar, to coincide with the night of the full moon.

The festival in the Hunter Valley will run from September 15-18.

Organiser Fanny Cheuk said the idea of celebrating the festival in Australia was to bring the eastern and western worlds together.

“We want to introduce Chinese culture to mainstream Australia,” she said.

The Hunter Valley was chosen as the destination due to its beauty and proximity to Sydney, Ms Cheuk said.

Ms Cheuk has already received letters of blessing from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and NSW Premier Mike Baird in regards to the event.

“The Hunter Valley Moon Festival presents the perfect opportunity for the community to gather and celebrate Chinese culture and traditions in a fun and festive atmosphere,” Mr Baird said in his letter.

The festival will involve seven businesses, or Seven Stars, each with a different theme.

Crowne Plaza will be themed modern, Peterson House romantic, King Horse Wines mysterious, Hope Estate energetic, Draytons Family Wines historical, Hunter Valley Zoo wilderness, and Vineyard Hill resort traditional.

Eight wonders will also be spread out across the seven venues, including a display of 10,000 lanterns and a performance of Cantonese opera.

Mooncake is also a big part of the annual celebration. 

Attendees will be given a passport, which they get stamped at each venue to be rewarded with a moon cake.

Hope Estate will also be the site of the Moon Palace, hosting 30 booths with various games, products and shows, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

Ms Cheuk expected the festival to attract local people as well as Chinese visitors from Sydney and even some international tourists.

Cessnock Chamber of Commerce president Geoff Walker said the chamber is right behind what he considered to be “a great initiative.”

He said the Moon Festival would help to draw the fast-growing Chinese tourism market to Cessnock, not just for the event, but in the long-term as well.

Mr Walker said Cessnock was also developing the infrastructure to support Chinese and Asian cultures, such as the Asian supermarket at the southern end of Vincent Street, and the chamber’s plans to convert CBD lane ways into selfie walls.

China is one of NSW’s largest inbound tourist markets and growth has been projected by Destination NSW for at least the next decade.

Cessnock City Council’s economic development manager, Jane Holdsworth said that the Hunter Valley was primed for this growth being located only two hours drive of Sydney and offering appealing experiences.  

“It is critical that tourism businesses can effectively service this growing market in order to compete and accelerate the growth of our visitor economy,” she said.

See www.huntershows.com.au for more details and tickets.