[photo credit: The Huntington]
Paper lanterns will drift across the central pond carrying handwritten wishes, while traditional erhu and pipa melodies echo through pavilions crafted with centuries-old techniques.
The Mid-Autumn Moon Celebration, running Oct. 3 to Oct. 5 from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. nightly, transforms The Huntington’s Chinese Garden into an illuminated wonderland.
“Marvel at breathtaking lanterns reflected in the lake as you stroll through illuminated pavilions, courtyards and pathways. Delight in live music throughout the garden and shop our specialty vendors,” promises The Huntington’s event description.
The festival centers around authentic architecture with construction beginning in August 2018, when Suzhou artisans spent six months on-site in 2019 perfecting traditional carpentry, masonry and tile work for the pavilions and bridges.
“One of our primary goals in building Liu Fang Yuan was to make Chinese gardening traditions—including landscape design, architecture, art and poetry—accessible to a wide audience of both Chinese and non-Chinese visitors,” explains Phillip E. Bloom, June and Simon K.C. Li Curator of the Chinese Garden.
The evening features unamplified performances throughout the garden, with musicians playing erhu, pipa and dizi solos. Visitors participate in the lantern launch ceremony, writing personal well-wishes before releasing them across the central pond.
Food and specialty vendors will be stationed throughout, with dining at Jade Court Cafe, Freshwater Pavilion and the Terrace of Shared Delights.
Mid-Autumn Moon Celebration will run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3-5 at 6:30-9 p.m. each night. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. For more information, call (626) 405-2100 or visit https://www.huntington.org/event/mid-autumn-moon-celebration. Ticket prices: Members $35, public $40, youth ages 4-11 $10, children under 4 free.
