Happy Chinese Moon Festival

The 15th day of the eighth month in the Lunar Calendar, which falls on September 17th this year, marks the Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

On the night of the Moon Festival, the full moon shines at its brightest all year, symbolising family reunions. The most cherished traditions include eating mooncakes and watching children participate in lantern parades.

One story explaining the origin of mooncakes dates back to the end of the Yuan Dynasty when China was ruled by the Mongols. The Chinese, unhappy under Mongol rule, secretly planned a rebellion. Messages organising the uprising were hidden inside mooncakes, which were distributed only to the Chinese. Upon cutting the cakes, people discovered the instructions to rise up. On the 15th day of the eighth month, the rebellion succeeded, marking the start of a new era.

Another famous legend tied to the Moon Festival tells the story of Chang'e, the Moon Fairy. Long ago, there were ten suns in the sky, causing great suffering on Earth. Hou Yi, a skilled archer, shot down nine of the suns, leaving just one. As a reward, the Heavenly Queen gifted him a pill of immortality. However, as fame and power went to his head, Hou Yi became cruel. His wife, Chang’e, realised it would be dangerous for him to live forever, so she sought the pill, intending to hide it. When Hou Yi caught her, she panicked and swallowed the pill by mistake. Immediately, she began to float into the sky. Hou Yi tried to shoot her down, but she rose safely to the moon, where she has lived ever since.

According to legend, on Moon Festival night, Chang'e and her jade rabbit can be seen on the moon.

The Chinese Moon Festival is celebrated across many Asian countries, including Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.