August 15th of the lunar calendar is a traditional festival in China-Mid-Autumn Festival. On this day, every family gets together and the whole family watches the full moon, which symbolizes abundance, harmony and luck. At this time, adults are eating delicious moon cakes, drinking hot fragrant tea, and children are playing with rabbit lights.
"Qiu Zhong Festival" may begin with a harvest festival. Later, the legend of Chang 'e, a beautiful fairy on the moon, added a mythical color to the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival may be the earliest festival to celebrate the harvest. Later, the fairy tale of Chang 'e, a beautiful fairy in the moon palace, gave it a mythical color.
According to China myth, the earth once had 10 suns revolving around it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together and roasted the earth with their heat. When the strong archer Hou Yi shot down nine suns, the earth was saved. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people under his brutal rule, but his wife Chang 'e drank it. In this way, the legend of young China girls praying to the moon goddess in the Mid-Autumn Festival began.
Legend has it that in ancient times, there were 10 suns in the sky. One day, these 10 suns appeared at the same time, and the heat was overwhelming. The next year, archers shot down nine suns and saved life on the earth. He stole the elixir of life, but his wife Chang 'e drank it secretly. Since then, every Mid-Autumn Festival, the legend that girls have to pray for the moon goddess Chang 'e has spread.
In the14th century, eating moon cakes in "Zhong Qiu Street" was given a new meaning. It is said that when Zhu Yuanzhang plotted to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty initiated by Mongols, the rebels hid their news in the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes. Therefore, "Qiu Zhong Festival" is also a festival to commemorate the overthrow of Mongols by the Han people.
In the14th century, eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival was given special significance. Legend has it that when Zhu Yuanzhang led an uprising to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty, soldiers hid contact letters in moon cakes. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival later became the anniversary of the overthrow of Mongolian rule by the Han people.
In the Yuan Dynasty (A.D. 1206- 1368), China was ruled by Mongols. The leaders of the pre-Song Dynasty (960- 1279) did not like to succumb to foreign rule, and worked out how to coordinate the rebellion without being discovered. Knowing that the Mid-Autumn Festival was coming, the rebel leader ordered the making of special cakes. There is a message in each moon cake, which is a summary of the attack. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. It was followed by the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368- 1644). Today, people eat moon cakes to commemorate this event.
In the Yuan Dynasty, Mongols ruled China. The former rulers did not want to let the regime fall into the hands of foreigners, so they plotted a joint uprising. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the uprising leader ordered his subordinates to make a special kind of moon cake and hid the uprising plan in each moon cake. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the rebels won, overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty. Today, people eat moon cakes to commemorate this event.