In the autumn, Americans look forward to Halloween and Thanksgiving; but many BYU students celebrate two important Chinese holidays too: The Mid-Autumn Festival and Taiwan National Day.
On Friday, October 10, 2025, the Wilkinson Student Center (WSC) was ablaze with activities, two of which celebrated an important Chinese holiday. BYU’s Chinese Club celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) with a variety of interactive activities, and, just one floor above, the Taiwanese Student Association hosted a celebration for both the festival and Taiwan National Day (雙十國度). Regardless of where patrons chose to celebrate, these activities brought students across cultures together in remembrance of the people and events that came before them.
The Goddess of the Moon
The Mid-Autumn Festival has been celebrated for centuries, and it started with the story of an archer and his wife: During a time when ten suns ruled the sky, legendary archer Hou Yi shot down nine, saving Earth from scorching heat. He was rewarded with an elixir of immortality but chose not to use it so he could live out his days with his wife, Chang’e. However, in an effort to protect the elixir during a robbery, Chang’e drank the concoction, becoming immortal and ascending to the moon.
Though depictions of this story vary, the moral tends to be the same, reminding families the importance of remembering loved ones, just as Hou Yi did every autumn following his wife’s ascension. Today, families celebrate together with barbecues and Chinese mooncakes. The Chinese Club’s even celebrated with karaoke in the Garden Room.
Throughout the event, students volunteered to sing karaoke in both Mandarin and Cantonese; played mahjong, a traditional tile-based Chinese game common throughout Asia; and competed in a board game developed in ancient China known as Weiqi or Go. Those in attendance shared a common respect and admiration for Chinese culture that connected them, despite differences.
Taiwan National Day
Upstairs, the Taiwanese Student Association (TSA) hosted another celebration for both the Mid-Autumn Festival and Taiwan National Day, which commemorates the Wuchang Uprising in 1911. This insurrection eventually led to the end of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Over the years, this holiday has turned into a day to celebrate Taiwanese culture and is typically packed with traditional foods, games, and activities.
The TSA event kickstarted with a buffet-style meal of rice, sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, and winter melon tea. The TSA presidency presented on many elements of Taiwanese culture, introducing the peoples, languages, and traditions that make up the island. Speaking in a mixture of Chinese and English, the TSA presidency also conducted a Taiwan trivia game and awarded prizes to the top four teams.
Each event brought a piece of Chinese and Taiwanese culture to the Wilkinson Center—and along with it, a community of students together.
Learn more about the Chinese Club’s and Taiwan Student Association’s upcoming events on Instagram.