Philadelphia's Chinatown celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival

“We've had to fight to reclaim that culturally and promote it in the community,” she said. “The crowds here, the energy, is a testament to how this community maintains the culture and identity for so many people in this area.”

On Saturday, participants of all ages enjoyed a variety of entertainment and activities, including painting, calligraphy, games, performances and more.

For event participant and volunteer Ken Hung, a high school teacher in the Philadelphia School District, the event was a reminder of Chinatown's continued importance – and the threat he believes the arena poses to its existence.

Hung, a Taiwanese American, said his children grew up in Chinatown, a place that celebrates and centers Asian Americans, something he wasn't able to experience as a child. His daughter was also one of the more than 300 volunteers who helped coordinate the festival on Saturday.

“I'm worried about what the possible construction of the Sixers arena will bring,” he said. “I feel part sadness because I'm wondering, 'Will this be one of the last years that not only I, but my children and my students will be able to enjoy this gathering?'”

Hioe said the significance of the festival goes beyond the actual day.

“I want people to know that we celebrate Chinatown as a community in such a big way, right? And people can see us, and we are really visible today,” she said. “But we are also worth celebrating and being seen in our normal, everyday lives, because this community is a living, breathing, moving community full of people and families, and there is a heart here that you can't find anywhere else, and I think that's worth celebrating and being seen, even in everyday life.”

Wei said she was “very happy” to see all the people at the festival on Saturday.

“What you see here today … sometimes you see anger, but mostly you see joy, because that's what we're fighting with, this community, it's its sense of purpose, its sense of love, the love that people feel for this community,” Wei said.