The Sao Paulo City Council enacted Law No. 18342 on Monday local time, including the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in the city's official events calendar, making it an official festival in this Brazilian city. The bill was proposed by councilor George Hato and signed by City Council President Ricardo Teixeira, officially taking effect on November 28. The legislation aims to recognize the influence of Chinese culture in Sao Paulo and enhance the diversity of the city's multicultural activities.
Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, is renowned for its diverse immigrant population. The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional celebrations for the Chinese community, symbolizing reunion, harvest, and cultural heritage. Councilor George Hato said the promotion of this legislation aims to recognize the influence of Chinese culture in Sao Paulo and enhance the diversity of the city's multicultural activities. He added that, as a diverse immigrant city, Sao Paulo's inclusion of this festival into its official events calendar helps promote ethnic integration and strengthen interactions with the local Chinese community.
In recent years, the Chinese community in Sao Paulo has been organizing large-scale and influential celebrations for festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and Chinese New Year. Local cultural experts noted that with the deepening ties between China and Brazil and the growing influence of the Chinese community and its culture, there is potential for the addition of more China-related commemorative or cultural holidays in the future, such as the Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival.
This decision highlights Sao Paulo's commitment to global cultural diversity and could further strengthen cultural exchanges between China and Brazil. The law's effective date marks the official recognition of a Chinese traditional festival, aiding community integration and development. (By Zhang Dongfang)