Dancers perform at a poetry recitation gala held at the Tianyi Pavilion and Moon Lake Scenic Area in Ningbo on Sept 26. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

A poetry recitation gala at the Tianyi Pavilion and Moon Lake Scenic Area in Ningbo, Zhejiang province has become an annual celebration for locals to welcome the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This year's event was held on Sept 26 and was divided into three parts.

The first part highlighted the poetry recitation performance by Jiang Qin, depicting the scene that Fan Qin, founder of the Tianyi Pavilion, recites the poems in the moonlight when boating at the Moon Lake.

The second part was children's recitation of San Zi Jing, commonly known as Three Character Classic, which was written by Wang Yinglin, a Ningbo scholar of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), to commemorate Wang’s 800th birthday.

The last part was a song featuring the combination of bel canto and traditional Chinese opera.

During the gala, the host also sent mooncake gifts to a dozen groups of Ningbo people that are living far away from home, including overseas Ningbo merchants, garrison soldiers, and scientists.

A group of children recite San Zi Jing, commonly known as Three Character Classic, at a gala in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Ningbo on Sept 26. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]