By Megan Wang
Picture courtesy of the National Palace Museum, Taiwan
A brilliant full moon adorns the boundless sky as households gather with their families. They laugh and talk, savor mooncakes with tea, and every so often, gaze up to marvel at the beauty of the moon while relishing the joy of their rare reunions. Still a widely celebrated holiday in much of Asia, the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on every 15th of the 8th lunar month, traces back thousands of years and provides an opportunity for us to peek inside the rich heritage of Chinese culture.
Divinely Inspired Tradition
Like many other traditional Chinese events, the Mid-Autumn Festival owes its origin to the ancients’ keen celestial observations and more importantly, reverence for the heavens. Emperors in the past were known by the title “Tian Zi,”which literally translates to “Son of Heaven,” signifying their responsibility in carrying out the divine mandate. According to The Book of Rites by Dai De, to receive guidance and blessings, emperors from as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) set aside specific days to host solemn worship of the sun and moon in the spring and the fall, respectively.
As this tradition persisted through the changing dynasties, it has since inspired noble families and common people alike to appreciate nature’s mid-autumn harmony—a joyous time of harvest, family reunions, gentle breezes, and a full moon.
An Emperor’s Journey to the Moon Palace
According to legend, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty once journeyed to the Moon Palace and brought back the famous song “Rainbow Skirts, Feather Coats.”
On one mid-autumn night, Xuanzong met a Daoist master who invited him onto a magical bridge. Ascending the bridge into another realm, they arrived at the cloud-shrouded Moon Palace, where heavenly maidens danced with silken sleeves that flowed like water. Xuanzong was immediately mesmerized and did not know where to turn his eyes next. Music graced the scene with melodies so soft, beautiful, and dynamic—at times gentle, at times lively, at times played in unison, at other times split into countermelodies. The emperor was filled with compassion and grace.
He lost himself in the moment, wishing to delve deeper into the divine sounds and sights. However, Heaven and Earth exist in different time-spaces. Despite the emperor’s title as the Son of Heaven, he was a mortal after all. As the Moon Palace was known for its cold temperature, he was chilled to the marrow after a few brief minutes and could not help but long for the warmth of the human world.
As soon as the thought emerged, Xuanzong’s vision blurred, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in his own imperial palace. The Moon Palace was nowhere in sight. Was it merely a dream?
Fortunately, Xuanzong was a talented musician and was able to preserve from memory what he had heard that night in the composition “Rainbow Skirts, Feather Coats.” As a result, this heavenly song from the moon came to prominence in the royal court and later spread among the people.
A Joyful Time With Family
Festivities start to permeate the air weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the marketplace, shops are already stocked with mooncakes. This signature pastry associated with the holiday boasts a variety of flavors like lotus seed paste, mixed nuts, and fruits. In dynasties past, mooncakes, along with fresh fruits and other food offerings, were an indispensable part of the moon ceremony, and entire families would join in the festivities.
Mooncakes—mini full-moons— are especially significant on this day, as they signify completeness and harmony, and symbolize people’s longing for family reunion. In the past, this holiday was often characterized by extraordinarily bustling scenes, with the royal palace and common households alike holding feasts for large numbers of guests. In the palace, music and dance performances enhanced the festivities. While the adults relished the many savory dishes inside, children would chase around in the alleyways lit with delicate lanterns, which added to the already colorful townscape.
Today, though many traditions like large-scale feasts and moon ceremonies have gradually disappeared in much of the industrialized regions of China, family reunions still represent the essence of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
A hanging scroll depicting the ascension of Chang’e to the moon, by an unidentified artist of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). Though many believe the moon is a cold and lonesome place, this artist depicts Chang’e meeting new neighbors and enjoying her new life there.
Humility Before the Eternal Moon
Perhaps people would not throw such grand celebrations had family reunions been easily achieved. As the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Shi expressed in his poem “Water Melody,” “Just as the moon can appear bright or dim, round or crescent, humans likewise experience joy, sorrow, reunion, or parting; we cannot always obtain all that we wish for.” On the nights of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people in different situations revere the moon in similar fashion, but with different emotions and wishes.
Literary works throughout Chinese history showcase different poetic visions of the moon and are often associated with folklore, such as the stories of Chang’e, Jade Rabbit, and the laurel tree.
Chang’e. There are many versions of this legend. One version goes like this: In ancient times, nine suns occupied the sky, setting fires on the land and putting the earth in serious danger. Houyi, the husband of a beautiful woman named Chang’e, shot down eight suns, thus rescuing the earth’s population from disaster. Though Heaven rewarded the couple with an elixir to become immortals, they spilled half of the potion while fighting against villains. After drinking the remaining half, Chang’e was lifted up and transported to the moon and thus became the lone fairy in the cold palace there.
Jade Rabbit. There once was a forest rabbit who willingly ran into a fire to save a dying Daoist monk from hunger. Its sacrifice and sincerity touched the Emperor of Heaven, who granted Jade Rabbit a place on the moon to honor its altruism.
The Laurel Tree. This tree was put on the moon to temper a restless Daoist monk named Wu Gang, whose mind was not firm enough to become an immortal. His master banished him to the moon, where he had to chop down a laurel tree that automatically grew back as soon as he axed it. Only if Wu became a diligent Daoist could he pass this test.
According to legend, the fates of Chang’e, Jade Rabbit, and Wu Gang haven’t changed. No matter how many times the moon waxes and wanes, it also remains unaffected. Yet, over the ages, people have continued to impart their individual desires and emotions to the moon. Perhaps there is a lesson for us in these ancient legends.
