On Oct. 1, Jiangsu University (JSU) students and Arcadia’s Computer Science and Mathematics faculty gathered at Minado Restaurant in Norristown, Pa. to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. Students and faculty connected over dinner, shared their experiences with JSU alumni, and exchanged cross-cultural teaching psychologies with visitors from JSU.

A celebration of harmony and unity, the Mid-Autumn Festival— recognized in China since the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 B.C.)— is traditionally held during a full moon on the 15th day of the eighth month, according to the lunar calendar. This year’s festival fell near “National Day,” a celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on Oct. 1, 1949.

This year, 18 students from JSU arrived to study at Arcadia. Described as “a way to celebrate home outside home,” the evening helped international students further adapt to campus life.