Over 700 people attended an open-air "Poon Choi" feast in the heart of London Chinatown to celebrate the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

A total of 70 outdoor dining tables were spread out across the newly constructed Chinatown Square and the festivity extended into the full length of Gerard Street, the main street of London's Chinatown.

"To signify the Anniversary Celebration with a meaningful commemoration, 70 tables in total were planned for this outdoor 'Poon Choi' banquet," said Deng Zhuting, Chairman of the London Chinatown Chinese Association.

"Poon Choi" is a Chinese dish that symbolizes unity, respect, and gratitude. Its various ingredients are served in one basin for table. Guests take food from the basin, layer by layer, from the top to the bottom.

"The dishes are prepared only for a special occasion for communal styled dinning. It is a sharing meal for all, regardless of anyone’s family position or social standing," said Huang Ping, general secretary of London Chinatown Chinese Association, who organized the event.

"Half of the total number of tables set as 'Thanksgiving Tables.' They are dedicated to any of our elderly who are over 70 years of age, concurring to the original symbolic meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebration of thankfulness to heaven for a bountiful harvest," said Huang.

This year's National Day is a key date on China's calendar as the country is planning celebrations including a military parade in Beijing on October 1.