The Bay of Plenty Chinese Culture Society is opening up to let the Tauranga locals experience their culture.

Held on September 8, the 2018 Tauranga Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival will take over The Strand.

Dora Xu, who is a member of the Chinese Culture Society says that during last year's event it attracted over 600 attendees and this year they are hoping for more.

'The festival is free entry so we welcome anyone to come and celebrate our Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.”

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is all about family. On the day of the festival they will also be celebrating the past full moon. The moon's round shape symbolizes family reunion.

Dora says that while celebrating the festival they want to welcome anyone in Tauranga to come along and join the family.

'Why we do that is because we are very appreciative that all the people of Tauranga have given the Chinese in this town jobs, a nice life and everyone is very friendly to us so we want to use this way to appreciate all of the people in Tauranga,” says Dora.

'It is also a very good way to showcase real Chinese food, real Chinese performances and lots of different activities.”

Activities include a lion dance, face changing, tea art, dumpling making, paper cutting, calligraphy, shuttlecock kicking and taiji rouli ball.

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is taking place on Saturday September 8 from 11am till 3pm.

For more information visit the event page on Facebook.