September 15, 2016 (Chinese lunar August 15), Mdm. Yang Pengbo, wife of the Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, hosted a tea ceremony at the residence for the members of Diplomatic Spouses' Association to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. There were 16 spouses of diplomatic envoys to NZ from the United States, Spain, Mexico, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand and India gathering happily to enjoy the art of tea making and celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival together.

In her welcoming address, Mdm. Yang noted that the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals of China. It is a time for celebrating good harvests. It is a time for families, relatives and friends to gather together to sip tea, eat moon cakes and renew kinship and friendship. In particular, she noted ‘People would miss their beloved ones and friends all the more on festivals’. She was delighted to gather together with spouses of diplomatic envoys of various countries to New Zealand at this important festival that symbolizes reunion and happiness to share China’s tea culture, deepen mutual understanding and reinforce their friendship.

Mdm Yang also briefed the guests on the historic city of Hangzhou, where the G20 Summit was held recently and invited the guests to view time-lapse photographic works Time-portrayed Hangzhou. She welcomed the guests with the Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea of Hangzhou to share the Chinese tea culture.

While enjoying the fragrant tea and traditional Chinese music of “Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water” and “A Moonlit Night on the Spring River”, the guests leaned about the Chinese history of tea, the art of tea making and experienced the “ceremony” and harmony of the Chinese tea culture. Deeply impressed by the profoundness of the Chinese tea culture, the guests highly praised the tea ceremony as a wonderful opportunity for learning about and experiencing the Chinese culture.