In China, Liqiu, meaning "the start of autumn," falls on August 7th this year. As the name suggests, it traditionally foretells the end of the summer heat.

For people in northern China it's also a time for the customs of "Tie Qiu Biao" and "Yao Qiu". You might understand the meaning of all these words, but it’s all about eating meat, vegetables and fruit to gain weight for the coming winter.

For Chinese families, food and fall go hand-in-hand. Liqui startes with senior members of the family - who put out a bowl of cereals in prayer for the autumn harvest. But that's not the tasty part.

Families traditionally gather to prepare a meal of Jiaozi, or dumplings, for the event. The filling is usually a rich and heavy mixture of meat and vegetables.

Families traditionally gather to prepare a meal of Jiaozi, or dumplings, for the event.

In some areas of China, family members will steal the dumplings from others' bowls - believing the more they grab, the healthier they will be in the coming autumn.

Wang Jian said, "I ate many dumplings from other people's bowls. I hope I will be healthy and strong in autumn."

Wang Faling said, "We eat dumplings on this day, praying for better health and harvest in the coming autumn."

People also follow a custom known as "biting the autumn" - which means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. In Shandong Province, people eat watermelons in particular to stave off bad health in the winter and spring.

Li Xia said, "According to an old saying, eating watermelons on this day will keep us healthy all the autumn."

But of course today the day is about much more than food. Hopes and dreams for the future are always something to celebrate.

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