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For the Chinese people, the Moon Festival is a beautiful and joyous time for holding family reunions. This year, the Moon Festival fell on the first day of the monthly two-day retreat at the Hsihu Center, where Formosan fellow practitioners celebrated the occasion with their friends and relatives.

On September 21, initiates and guests arrived from all around Formosa to participate in a warm, joyous reunion at Hsihu. The celebrations began at four in the afternoon with a widely anticipated, delicious and nutritious vegetarian barbecue, exquisitely prepared by the kitchen team. The barbecued foods were more aromatic, tasty, and tempting than usual, and earned wholehearted praise from all the participants. Laughter filled the air, as adults and children together enjoyed the barbecue, creating the heartwarming picture of "a grand, harmonious and happy family."

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Master sends a handwritten reply to a message of greeting from Formosan disciples at Hsihu during the Moon Festival.

As the moon quietly appeared over the treetops, the soft, serene melody of the tune "Moonlight" was heard by all, signaling the beginning of the evening program. The "Moonlight Evening Party" began with the humorous appearance of the two MCs, the beautiful Chang'er (Moon Goddess) played by a brother initiate, and the mischievous Jade Rabbit played by a sister initiate. At this romantic moment, we faxed a message of love and greeting to Master, wishing Her a happy Moon Festival. Fellow initiates from around Formosa then entertained the audience with diverse and brilliant performances. Their joyous singing, skillful and elegant dancing and superb instrumental recitals earned thunderous applause from the audience. The evening reached its climax when one of the MCs read aloud Master's reply in the form of a handwritten fax saying "Thank you and I love you more," which was brief but contained infinite Love that deeply touched everyone's heart, as many people cried on the spot.

The performances included a rap-talk by young initiates, kung fu dancing, a well-choreographed dance by lively e-generation fellow initiates, a richly artistic Chinese zither recital, modern dances, guitar and vocal solos, and many others. The final program was a grand chorus by all the participants, "The Moon Speaks for My Heart," expressing the hope that they can one day celebrate the Moon Festival with Master on a moonlit night in Hsihu. After having enjoyed the evening to the fullest, the participants retired under a clear and starlit sky.