The opening ceremony of the 2025 Cross‑Strait (Kunshan) Mid‑Autumn Lantern Festival was held at Huiju Square in the Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiangsu province, on September 29. At the same time, breathtakingly beautiful lanterns illuminated Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, Dayu Bay, old Zhengyi Street, and Qiandeng Ancient Town.
Zhang Zhijun, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, said the bright moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival is a cultural symbol shared by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and that the longing for reunion is a common attachment to family and country for all Chinese people. He said the annual Cross-Strait (Kunshan) Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival has turned outstanding traditional Chinese culture into a link across the Strait. It is not merely a visual feast that brightens the night sky but also a bridge connecting hearts and minds. Compatriots on both sides share blood ties and a common destiny. The Chinese mainland has entered a new stage of development to advance Chinese modernization comprehensively. Kunshan exemplifies this path with robust economic growth, a well-developed market environment, and a favorable business climate. The city is also a place where compatriots from both sides work together, fostering deep camaraderie. It has become a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship for Taiwanese youth and one of the areas with the closest economic and cultural exchanges across the Strait.
Zhang encouraged people and businesses from Taiwan to seize the opportunities of the times and actively participate in integrated development with Kunshan and Taiwan—achieving mutual benefits through economic and trade cooperation, strengthening emotional bonds through cultural exchanges, and fulfilling aspirations through innovation and entrepreneurship. He called on them to jointly contribute to the peaceful development of both sides of the Strait and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Chen Liyan, secretary of the CPC Kunshan Municipal Committee, said this year marks the 35th anniversary of Kunshan and Taiwan “joining hands,” which has produced closer, deeper bonds and many “joyful fruits.” She cited examples: robust industrial collaboration between Kunshan and Taiwan; expansion and upgrading of the Kunshan Pilot Zone for Deepening Cross‑Strait Industrial Cooperation; new breakthroughs in financial reform pilots supporting cross‑Strait cooperation; investment growth and innovative advances by numerous outstanding Taiwanese enterprises in Kunshan, which helped the city rank first among China’s top 100 counties and county‑level cities for 21 consecutive years; and strengthened ties across the Strait reflected in frequent exchanges and the increasing number of young Taiwanese moving to Kunshan to pursue and realize their dreams, emerging as a “youthful force” in cross‑Strait cooperation and exchanges.
Chen said the visually stunning spectacle of this year’s lantern festival—blending tradition with modernity and integrating technology with culture—is also one of those “joyful fruits,” and she believes it will strengthen compatriot ties and create lasting warm memories.
At the opening ceremony, a plan was announced to upgrade the Huiju Square–centered area as a base for cross‑Strait exchanges, and two projects—a culture and sports center and a Grand Madison hotel—were launched, aimed at boosting the area’s vitality.
Kunshan’s cultural tourism endorser promoted a new travel experience for visitors during the National Day and Mid‑Autumn Festival holiday, featuring 15 tour routes, 35 special activities, and multiple cultural travel scenarios. The city invited compatriots from both sides of the Strait to join the autumn celebrations and enjoy seasonal crabs. Additionally, 20 representatives of “Kunshan Artisans” from across the Strait received certificates.
At the opening show, young people from both sides staged performances including a vibrant street dance; the poetry recital “Nostalgia in the Moonlight”; the singing and dancing piece “Toasting Loved Ones with Felt Hats and Fine Wine”; and the choruses “We Sing the Same Song” and “Both Sides of the Strait Are Home.” These performances vividly conveyed that people on both sides of the Strait are one family.
Huiju Square, the festival’s main venue, features four lantern zones—“Blossoms in the City of Deer,” “A Feast of Flowers,” “Cross‑Strait Shared Blessings,” and “The Splendid Treasure Island”—with 17 lantern installations, two AR experience sites, and four dynamic lantern sets. Scheduled events include exhibitions and shows highlighting culture and art from both sides of the Strait, Cross‑Strait Folk Culture Day, a carnival, the Mid‑Autumn Festival party for Taiwanese businesspeople in Kunshan, and a concert. These events aim to deepen emotional bonds across the Strait and inject new momentum into cross‑Strait integrated development.
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