Seven Cornell Asian and Asian American student organizations collaborated for the first time to host this year's Mid-Autumn Festival Sept. 18 on the Arts Quad, which attracted some 1,000 visitors.

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which celebrates the start of the fall harvest and the bounty that the season brings.

"On that day, the moon is said to be at its fullest, and families gather to 'moon gaze' -- admiring the beauty of the moon (which by virtue of its roundness symbolizes family and loved ones getting together or perfection and fullness) while eating moon cakes," said Joanne Lee '13, cultural chair of the Cornell Chinese Students Association and one of the event organizers. As friends and families moon-gaze together, they take "comfort in each other's company in a way reminiscent of Thanksgiving."

This year's festivities were important to organizers because of the emphasis on cross-cultural collaboration, noted Lee. Cornell boasts more than 75 Asian/Asian American student organizations; more than 20 percent of Cornell students are of Asian descent. In the past, however, organizations have mainly catered their events toward their specific cultures, appealing mainly to their own members, she noted. This year, elements from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Vietnamese cultures were drawn together, such as the four versions of the poster advertising the event across campus, written in original languages -- Zhongqiu Jie (Chinese), Tet Trung Thu (Vietnamese), Chu-sok (Korean) and Otsukimi (Japanese) -- to share the spirit and essence of unity with the greater Cornell community.

"Some assume that since all of these organizations are Asian, it's really easy [for them] to work together, but that's clearly not the case," said Patricia Nguyen, assistant dean of students and director of Cornell's Asian and Asian American Center. "We have to realize that there are very distinct, separate cultures within the Asian community, each with their own unique views and traditions. To have the members of these respective organizations be willing to reach out and share their traditions with one another and with the greater Cornell family is remarkable. These leaders worked very hard, and their efforts have laid a solid foundation for future organizations that something of this magnitude is possible. It's very empowering."

The sponsoring organizations -- the Chinese Students Association, Cornell Asian Pacific Islander Student Union, Cornell Taiwanese American Society, Hong Kong Students Association, Korean American Students Association, Mainland Chinese Students Association and Tzu Chi Collegiate Association -- each hosted an interactive booth with games and crafts to teach visitors how different Asian cultures celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The event also featured free samples of Chinese and Korean food, moon cakes -- a sweet pastry eaten during the festivities, and performances by such Cornell groups as Absolute Zero, Amber Chinese Dance Troupe, Break Free, Cornell Chinese Music Ensemble, FantAsia, Illuminations, Lion Dance, Wushu and Yamatai.

During the festival, the event organizers also collected money for victims of the recent floods in Pakistan and China.

"I think that the fact that the event planners tried to bring more awareness to the community, such as the donation for the recent flood crisis in Pakistan and China and [by using] biodegradable utensils and plates, really resonated with the students that came," said Brian Barron '12, a volunteer at the event. "It was an amazing night."

The festival was funded by CUTonight, African Latino Asian Native American Students Programming Board, Student Assembly Finance Commission, International Student Board, Asian American Studies Program and the Asian and Asian American Center.