One of the important dates in the Chinese and Vietnamese calendar is the Lantern and Moon festival that celebrates autumn harvest by giving thanks and asking for blessings.

Also known as ‘Mid-Autumn Festival’, ‘Mooncake Festival’ or simply ‘Moon Festival’, the festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when the moon was believed to be brightest, signalling those below, that it was time to collect the crops.

The festival now comes to Abu Dhabi as the Shangri-La Hotel, in Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi is marking the day by sowing those authentic, Southeast Asian cultural seeds.

The Lantern and Moon festival which is taking place for the fifth time in the capital will bring colour, music and delectable festive food to its home on the waterfront of Khor Al Maqta.

While the official date of the festival is September 21 this year, Shangri-La is marking the day on September 17 with a curated pair of family-friendly Asian banquets.

The fully immersive experiences will begin with a brunch from 1 pm to 4 pm where visitors can relish a wide selection of authentic Eastern (alongside some classic Western) flavours, with live cooking stations. The soft deal is priced at Dhs279, the house is Dhs349 and its Dhs459 with bubbles.

After the brunch, the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner will take place from 6 pm to 11 pm with more exquisite dishes and festivities for just Dhs188. The members of the Shangri-La’s Golden Circle loyalty programme (which is free to join) can avail of 25 per cent of both dining experiences.