Seasonal festival fills Buenos Aires Chinatown with harmony

People shop at a supermarket in Chinatown in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 9, 2021. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua)

After several months of limited tourist activities, the Chinatown community is gradually returning to its usual energy, coinciding with the China's Mid-Autumn Festival and China's National Day holidays.

Chinatown in Buenos Aires, one of the main tourist attractions in the Argentinean capital, is getting ready to celebrate China's National Day with social distancing and anti-pandemic measures in place.

After several months of limited tourist activities, the Chinatown community is gradually returning to its usual energy, coinciding with the China's Mid-Autumn Festival and China's National Day holidays.

Preparations for the National Day celebrations are taking place, with small cultural exhibitions to show the traditional Chinese culture.

The most important event will be held on Oct. 2, according to organizers. Street artists will be invited to perform here and volunteers will give short speeches.

The idea of this year's celebration is to bring a message of harmony and cultural exchanges to people who frequently visit Chinatown, organizers said, noting that all activities will comply with epidemic prevention regulations.

"In China, we traditionally celebrate festivals with our families and friends. For example, we will go out for a walk or climb mountains to celebrate the traditional Chinese festivals," said Yu Yonghui, a merchant who owns a small supermarket in a neighborhood.

The national flags of China and Argentina are flying at the entrance to Yu's "Super Chunghwa" supermarket, demonstrating the friendly relationship between the two countries.

"Today, due to the pandemic, it is difficult for us to return to China, so we decided to celebrate the festival here with our relatives and not to gather in closed places," Yu said. "Thanks to technology, we can use WeChat and make video calls to our families back in China and celebrate it together."