As Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US coincided with the Mid-Autumn holiday, Chinese media recalled the festival scenes from his visit 11 years ago. Guangming Online, China Radio International and others on Sept. 25 ran the story under the headline 'The motherland and family miss every child abroad.'

Hometown mooncakes in Seattle

According to the reports, Xi attended a welcome event for overseas Chinese in Seattle around the 2015 Mid-Autumn Festival and said, 'The motherland and family miss every child living abroad.' He shared mooncakes brought from his home province with attendees and warmly invited them to 'come home often.'

The then-head of a Chinese American association recalled that everyone was deeply moved that the leader brought mooncakes to celebrate the festival with them. A few days later, Xi and his wife also spent a special Mid-Autumn Festival with representatives of Chinese communities in the eastern US at UN headquarters in New York.

A longing Korea's overseas Chinese know well

Mid-Autumn ranks with the Spring Festival as the most important holiday for overseas Chinese communities. With families often scattered, the sentiment of gazing at the full moon and thinking of home and kin runs especially deep.

The same is true for Korea's ethnic Chinese community. Associations and schools in Incheon, Seoul and Busan have long held mooncake sharing, events for elders and student activities around the festival. This year the Hansung Chinese Association has again announced its elders' banquet for Overseas Chinese Day next month, as autumn community events get under way.

During this US visit, Xi again stressed people-to-people exchanges, including a plan to invite American young people to China. Summit diplomacy coinciding with the holiday has once more stirred the feelings of diaspora communities.

This report is based on coverage by Guangming Online, China Radio International and others.