Taiwanese celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival in Tibet

From: China Tibet Online

An ancient Chinese poem goes that "being away from home during the holidays makes me even more homesick."

The 50-year-old Jiang Mingren, a Taiwanese who involves with Taiwan cuisine cooking in Lhasa, is going to celebrate with his wife the third Mid-Autumn Festival in Tibet.

He said frankly: "Almost 90 percent of people in Taiwan are originally from Guangdong or Fujian Province, so there is no difference in the Mid-Autumn Festival customs between Taiwan and the mainland."

On the evening of September 21, Jiang Mingren and his wife shared bits of how they've celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in Tibet over the last few years on the top floor terrace of their restaurant.

Jiang Mingren said that there are only about 20 Taiwan residents in Lhasa, with even fewer who live here full-time. With their daughter returned to Taiwan, the couple usually spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with their friends in Lhasa, with everyone cooking food of their hometown for a potluck. "It's quite interesting to hear all the different accents around the dinner table."

"My specialty is making Taiwan cuisine. This is my job here in Lhasa. Although I have encountered difficulties over the years, the business is developing on the whole. More and more people like Taiwan food here. If I leave, wouldn't that be unambitious?" he said, smiling.