Xi Story: Sharing mooncakes with students

Sharing mooncakes with family, friends and loved ones is a cherished tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the eve of the 1986 Mid-Autumn Festival, Xi Jinping, then vice-mayor of Xiamen city, delivered two boxes of mooncakes to the students of Xiamen University, bringing a sense of home to the students.

"He often rode his bicycle to conduct field research in the city. He came to Xiamen University several times, borrowing books from the library and holding symposiums in our economic department," recalled Zhang Hongliang, an alumnus of Xiamen University from the class of 1987.

In 1986, on the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xi made a surprising visit to the university. "He rode his bicycle directly to our dormitory," recalled Zhang.

"It is not easy for you to go to school far away from your parents and hometowns. Let's eat mooncakes together to ease our homesickness," Xi said.

This special Mid-Autumn Festival gift made students like Zhang who were away from their homes, feel a sense of home.

"He was very young, and very kind and caring to us. Many of my classmates still remember this vividly," said Zhang.