Full coverage: Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

Today marks Mid-Autumn Day Festival here in China. It's one of the most important traditional festivals on the Chinese calendar, second only to Chinese New Year. For many people that means some time off, feasting with family and friends, and, of course, the traditional confection of the season: Mooncakes. So get in the festive spirit as our reporter Liu Wenwen takes you to a special evening gala held at the Ancient Bell Museum in Beijing.

Ringing in the Mid-Autumn Festival...

This giant chime cast during the Ming Dynasty is a treasure of the Ancient Bell Museum, or Great Bell Temple, where emperors presided over rituals praying for good harvests.

An eveving gala featuring performances with traditional Chinese instruments is held here. This annual gathering during the fall celebration brings together some of the best performers in China.

Wu Yuxia plays the Pipa, a four-stringed plucked instrument which boasts thousands of years of history.

"The sounds of our country's traditional instruments carry the aesthetic values of Chinese people. This has an inner beauty, which can still resonate with audiences today. We play from our hearts, and hopefully the audience can appreciate it," musician Wu Yuxia said.

One of the most important traditional Chinese celebrations, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, around the time of the fall equinox. As the full bright moon tends to inspire people's anticipation for family reunions, it is sometimes called the "Festival of Reunions."