Posted: September 30, 2015, 11:00am
Last night, I worked my first shift as an exhibit guide at the USC Pacific Asia Museum for the Harvest Moon Festival. This festival is celebrated by Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and other Asian cultures around the world. The Mid-Autumn Festival occurs on the night when the moon is fullest. This year was even more special because of the “super blood moon” eclipse – the last lunar eclipse in a series of four that will not occur again until 2033.
Throughout the night, there were many activities like lantern making, fan painting, and moon-cake tasting. One of the hallmark traditions of this festival, moon-cakes are round pastries made out of lotus seed paste. Symbolizing completeness and unity, they sometimes contain an egg yolk to represent the moon. My mom typically buys a few tins full of moon-cakes to distribute to our family and friends.
For the next few weeks, I will be volunteering at the new exhibit “Reshaping Tradition: Contemporary Ceramics from East Asia.” I will be acting as a guide and resident expert on some of these wonderful pieces. I will have the chance to interact with people of all ages and brush up on my presentation skills. The Pacific Asia Museum is free for anyone affiliated with USC (students, staff, alumni), so definitely take the time to come visit! See you there!
Published on July 27th, 2017
Last updated on August 10th, 2017