FGS Auckland Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival with Creative Painted Lanterns
On 11th September 2022, BLIA North Island celebrating the Mid-autumn Festival in the early spring and held the Creative Painted Lantern event at Cloud Corner in FGS Auckland. FGS New Zealand Abbess Manshin, Minister in Charge of FGS Auckland Venerable Rulian, Venerable Zhiyuan, Venerable Nengchang and President of the BLIA North Island Yulin Ku were presented. Nearly 100 peoples attended the occasion, including committees and members from each Sub-Chapters, BLIA YAD members and students from Children Dharma Class were participated in the lantern painting activity with their families.
Various interactive activities were conducted to delight the celebration such as lantern riddles, sing along the Sound of Human World Buddhist Hymn and games. One of the highlights of the event was the Creative Lantern Painting Competition that attracted nearly 20 young artists who participated in the creation. Abbess Manshin was cordially presented the Participation Award to all the little artists. Besides that, the general public also gets to votes for their favorite lanterns. Finally, Zixuan Luo and Daoxin Yu received the Most Popular and Most Creative Awards for their lantern respectively based on the public voting.
President Ku expressed that the Chinese culture is always a good inheritance for children. Lantern Drawing activity was a great opportunity to share the cultural knowledge with our next generation and enhance the family relationship through complete the creation together. The most elderly participant in this activity was over sixty years old while the youngest was only four years old.
Abbess Manshin acknowledged the commitments and achievements of the Mid-Autumm Celebration in fostering the culture values for children. The event reminds us the moon is also a bright master in our life. As the ancient people could not see the current moon but the same moon shone on them once. In addition, Master Hsing Yun encourage us to take the moon as an example in learning to be a great person. Firstly, the moon characteristics of brightness inspire us to shine through our inner light, the perfection remind us in being equality and the eternity of the moon encourage us to be dedication in all aspects in our lives.
All the participants were connected and filled with wisdom after being surrounded by the beautiful environment, delicious refreshments, elegant Ikebana arrangements and great company.