The Moon Festival A Celebration Of Romance, Family And The Bounty Of The Harvest

Chinese festivals rank among some of the most colourful and lively mass-scale celebrations in the world

. There is certainly no lack of them either nearly every month heralds some form of traditional Chinese festivity or other, the most widespread and significant of which is the Chinese New Year. However, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also popularly known as the Moon Festival or Zhongqui Festival, is one of the best-loved and romantic celebrations in the Chinese calendar.

Both the moon and the shape of the circle are potent symbols in Chinese folklore and tradition. Many legends in particular have been spun around the moon, one of the most beloved characters which appear in Chinese folktales and legends. The legend of Chang-E and her husband Hou Yi is one of the more popular of these; although many divergent versions of their tale has evolved over the years, it is commonly accepted that Chang-E is the woman on the moon who was elevated as an immortal being after drinking a magic elixir procured by her husband. Hence, romance and marriage are themes closely tied in with this festival, as is family unity, as the full moon signals the opportunity for far-flung family members to gather and enjoy the feasts of the harvest.

This festival falls in the middle of the 8th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, usually in late September or early October. Essentially a harvest festival that coincides with the solar calendars autumnal equinox, the origins of the festival date back over three millennia, stretching as far back as the Shang Dynasty. Although several countries across Southeast Asia also join in the festivities, few can hold to the joyous pageantry with which it is received in the country of its origin, most notably its modern-historic heart of Beijing. Lantern lights are strung up along the streets, gorgeous performances of Fire Dragon Dances prance elegantly in colourful costumes and families gather and partake of a rich assortment of traditional delicacies and sweetmeats under the light of the bright moonshine.

Each festival is characterized by a certain food in Chinese culture, and the Moon Festival is no exception. The round moon cakes, which is pastry with a sweet walnut and sesame filling whose crust is decorated in the symbols of the festival, is a staple delicacy in times of the harvest moon. Traditionally, thirteen cakes symbolizing the twelve moons and the intercalary one are stacked in pyramid formation to represent the completion of the year. These cakes also bear a legend of having been instrumental in aiding the Ming Dynasty to rebel against the Mongols and seize the kingdom successfully, the rebels having secreted messages to allies within the cakes.

Bearing witness to the pageantry of Beijings year-round roster of festivals is a task all the more delightful for the discerning traveller who chooses a suitable vantage point in the city. For those who prefer luxury accommodation Beijing in a centralized position, Raffles Beijing Hotel China must appear at the top of the list, being a most prestigious hotel in Beijing guaranteed to offer an elite Chinese travel experience.

by: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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