Chinese and Maltese artists will celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival on Monday in an evening of dance and music.

The festival falls on the 15th day of the eight lunar month, the exact middle of autumn on the Chinese calendar, when the moon appears at its roundest and brightest. The full moon is a symbol of family reunion and an auspicious token of abundance, harmony and luck.

According to Chinese literature, the Moon Festival celebrations date back more than 2,000 years when in feudal times, Chinese emperors held a ceremony in praise of the moon for a prosperous year.

As the celebration spread, some special customs appeared in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting mid-autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and performing dragon dances.

Nowadays, when the festival sets in, people light lanterns, appreciate the full silver moon and eat moon cakes, a speciality made for the festival.

The celebration on Monday will take place in Freedom Square, Valletta and will start at 8 p.m. It will feature the Chinese Red Poppy Ladies Percussion, the Olivia Dow School of Russian Ballet, the Versatile Brass Band and soprano Marie Therese Vassallo.

The event is organised by the China Cultural Centre and Valletta local council in collaboration with the Council for Culture and the Arts.