She floated out of the window and out to the countryside. Come the evening, sword in hand, he broke into Houyi’s house eagerly, and threatened Chang’e to hand him the elixir.Ĭhang’e refused to comply and out of desperation took the elixir herself.Īlmost instantly, her body began to float. On the morning of the 15 th of the 8 th month, Houyi left early with his apprentices.įeng Meng feigned sickness and stayed behind. However, Houyi did not want to be separated from his wife Chang’e, so he asked her to hide the elixir inside her treasure box.įeng Meng somehow learned about the elixir of life and wanted to steal it for himself. Rumour has it that if a mortal takes this elixir, he would not only live forever, but also rise to heaven and become a deity. The Holy Goddess of the West (西王母) of Kunlun Mountain (昆仑山) rewarded Houyi an elixir of life. Over the years, the Chinese people came up with new ways to celebrate the holiday, and as a result each region now has adapted their own customs.įor example, the people of Hong Kong celebrate with dazzling performance of the Fire Dragon Dance, along with drums and a ton of incense, on the streets of Hong Kong.ĭespite the varying customs, the three main fundamental concepts of the festival are the same: giving thanks for the harvest, celebrate the reunion of family, and praying for things such as longevity and good fortune. The Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have originated from the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago and was popularised in the Song Dynasty.īy Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was already a widely celebrated holiday across China.Įven to this day, it’s still celebrated by all and recognised globally as an indispensable part of Chinese culture. The three taikonauts recorded an exclusive video for the gala, sending their Mid-Autumn wishes and a "lucky star" to the Chinese people worldwide.Īs an annual event that unites Chinese people worldwide, CMG's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala has attracted widespread attention from domestic and international media since its official announcement.On the lunar calendar, the holiday falls on the 15 th day of the 8 th month, right in the middle of the fall season, hence the name Mid-Autumn. Shenzhou-14 taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe spent the first ever "Mid-Autumn Festival in Space" on China's space station. Among the many moon-themed songs were new renditions of traditional Chinese poetry of the great poets of the past. In Jiyang Lake Park at Zhangjiagang of Jiangsu Province, the main venue, Chinese stars including Li Yugang, Huang Ling and Na Ying staged various styles of songs. It presented a unique "Suzhou-style Mid-Autumn Festival" show with the cultural characteristics of waterfront towns south of the Yangtze River. The gala was divided into three chapters, started with Kunqu Opera and Pingtan (a regional musical/oral performance art). Folk customs feature a series of festive activities such as moon viewing with families, guessing lantern riddles, carrying brightly lit lanterns, performing dragon and lion dances and more. In modern times the festival has evolved to the point where eating mooncakes has become a custom throughout China. Then she was separated from her beloved husband, floating up into the sky, and finally landing on the moon, where she lives to this day. But one day she drank a bottle of elixir that made her immortal to honor her husband's instructions to keep it safe. Long ago there was a beautiful lady, Chang'e, whose husband was a brave archer, Hou Yi. The story of Chang'e and Hou Yi is the most widely accepted. There are many interesting stories explaining the origin of the festival. Over tens of thousands of poems describing the moon have been recorded. For the Chinese, the moon is symbolized as being holy, pure and noble. Since ancient times, there have been many legends about the moon in China. In ancient agrarian societies, people believed that the moon's operation was closely related to agricultural production and seasonal changes, so the Moon Festival became a critical ritual activity. An essential part of the festival celebration is moon worshipping. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of seasonal customs in autumn, and most of the festival elements it contains have ancient origins. It's also about the joy of harvesting, romance and the harmony between humans and nature. The Mid-autumn festival is not just about family reunions. This year, the day falls on September 10. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is celebrated by millions of people on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
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