Mid Autumn Festival – Vivid Colorful Lanterns Along the RiverThe Mid Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Cake Festival (Zhong Qui Jie), will be celebrated on the 15th day of the eight month in Chinese calendar. This year (2009), the Mid-Autumn Festival will be held on October 3. Traditionally, people will celebrate good fortune and prosperity and also pay homage to the Harvest Moon which is a sign of abundance at the end of the harvesting season. People will admire the Harvest Moon and eat moon cakes under the moon together, hence the popular name for the occasion. 

The moon cake is an important traditional sweet cake symbolizing the full moon and has specific significance to 14th century Chinese history. It is said that, at that time, when China was controlled by Mongols that moon cake helped with a rebellion. The rebel Chinese had a plan to banish the Mongols and they provoke the people and ask for participation by writing messages about rising against the Mongols. On the 15th day of the eighth moon, small pieces of paper were baked into moon cakes and distributed. The rebellion was a success because the Mongols never ate the moon cake and never learned about the plan.

In recent times, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant special occasion for Chinese family and friends to get together and celebrate. In Hong Kong, the Festival is very popular and is recognized for vibrant and exciting parades, performances, dragon dances, and fireworks. The city will be decorated with thousands of colorful lanterns; and of course various recipes of the sweet moon cake will be served around Hong Kong.

Mid Autumn Festival - The Moon Cakes

Mid Autumn Festival - Dragon Dance

At night, the Mid-Autumn Festival becomes most enchanting. The city will be lit with brilliant and vivid paper lanterns and families are typically out until late at night to enjoy the cerebrations. Some family will go to higher points or open spaces to light lanterns and view the moon. Among the best locations for moon watching are Wan Chai Waterfront Promenade, Victoria Park, Shake O Beach, Stanley Main Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, Deep Water Bay Beach, Clear Water Bay Beach and Hong Kong Gold Coast (Golden Coast).

Popularity: 16% [?]

• No Related Post