The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in my country and the second largest traditional festival in my country after the Spring Festival. August 15th is right in the middle of autumn, so it is called the Mid-Autumn Festival. The ancient Chinese calendar called August, which is in the middle of autumn, "Zhongqiu", so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Zhongqiu Festival".

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon is bright and clear. The ancients regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion. Therefore, August 15th is also called the "Reunion Festival". Throughout the ages, people have often used the terms "full moon" and "waning moon" to describe "joys and sorrows", and wanderers living in foreign lands use the moon to express their deep feelings. Poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty wrote "Looking up at the bright moon, bowing his head thinking about his hometown", Du Fu's "The dew is white tonight, the moon is bright in my hometown", Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty wrote "The spring breeze is green again on the south bank of the river, when will the bright moon shine on me again" and other poems, They are all eternal songs.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival, and worshiping and admiring the moon is an important custom of the festival. In ancient times, emperors had a social system of worshiping the sun in spring and the moon in autumn, and people also had the custom of worshiping the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Later, admiring the moon became more important than worshiping the moon, and serious sacrifices turned into relaxed joy. The custom of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival peaked in the Tang Dynasty. Many poets included poems praising the moon in their famous poems. In the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, the activities of worshiping and appreciating the moon in the palace and among the people became more extensive. There are many ancient monuments such as "Moon Worship Altar", "Moon Worship Pavilion" and "Moon Watching Tower" remaining in various parts of our country. The "Altar of the Moon" in Beijing was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty for the royal family to worship the moon. Whenever the moon rises during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a table is set up in the open air, and moon cakes, pomegranates, dates and other fruits are offered on the table. After worshiping the moon, the whole family sits around the table, eats and talks, and enjoys the bright moon. Nowadays, the activities of worshiping and worshiping the moon have been replaced by grand and colorful mass moon-viewing recreational activities.

Eating moon cakes is another custom of the festival. Moon cakes symbolize reunion. The production of mooncakes has become more and more sophisticated since the Tang Dynasty. Su Dongpo wrote in a poem: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispness and sweetness in the middle." Yang Guangfu of the Qing Dynasty wrote: "Moon cakes are filled with peach and meat fillings, and ice cream is sweet with cane sugar frosting." It seems that the moon cakes at that time are quite similar to those now.

According to historical records, the term "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book "Zhou Rites". In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was a record of "ordering the minister to suppress the cattle confusion, and on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, the left and right people were incognito and flooded the river". It was not until the early Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. "Book of Tang·Taizong Ji" records the "Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th". The popularity of the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become as famous as New Year's Day and became one of the major festivals in our country. This is also the second largest traditional festival in our country after the Spring Festival.

"West Lake Tour Notes" says: "The fifteenth day of August is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send mooncakes to each other to symbolize reunion." "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" also says: "When worshiping the moon on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the cakes will be round, the melons will be broken into pieces, and the petals will be carved like lotus flowers. ... Those who have a wife who has returned to peace will return to her husband's house on this day, which is called reunion. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, most areas in my country still have the custom of baking "reunion", which is a small cake that symbolizes reunion and is similar to a moon cake. The cake is filled with sugar, sesame, osmanthus and vegetables, and the moon, osmanthus and rabbit are pressed on the outside. After worshiping the moon, the elders in the family will cut the cake into pieces according to the number of people, and leave one piece for each person if someone is not at home, which means family reunion.

There are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and clear. In addition to holding a series of activities such as moon appreciation, moon worship, and eating moon cakes to pray for reunion, some places also have grass dragon dancing, pagoda building and other activities. In addition to moon cakes, various seasonal fresh fruits are also held. Dried fruits are also a delicacy on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Another theory of the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is that the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month happens to be the time when rice matures, and the Mid-Autumn Festival may be the day when the rice is ripe. Relics.

The origins and customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in my country and the second largest traditional festival in my country after the Spring Festival. Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Reunion Festival, August Festival, etc., it is a traditional festival for the Han people and most ethnic minorities in my country. It is also popular in neighboring countries such as North Korea, Japan, and Vietnam because of the three months of autumn (July, August, and September). (lunar calendar), August is in the middle, and among the thirty days of August, the fifteenth is in the middle, so it is called the Mid-Autumn Festival. Because of the bright moon in the sky, many people reunite with their families on this night, so it is also called the Reunion Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ancient Chinese custom of worshiping the moon in autumn. "Book of Rites" records that "the emperor rises to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn." The morning sun follows the morning, and the evening moon follows the evening. "Xiyue" here means worshiping the moon. It took shape in the Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the custom of admiring the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival became popular and was designated as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Ouyang Zhan (AD 785 - about 827 AD) said in the "Preface to the Poetry of Wan Yue in Chang'an": "The eighth month is in autumn. The season begins and ends in Meng; the fifteenth is in the night, and the moon is in the clouds. According to the way of heaven, the cold and heat will be equal. Based on the number of the month, the soul of the toad is round, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon is bright and clear. The ancients regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion, so the fifteenth day of August is also called "Mid-Autumn Festival". "Reunion Festival". Throughout the ages, people have often used "full moon" and "waning moon" to describe "sorrows, joys and sorrows". Travelers living in foreign lands use the moon to express their deep feelings. Poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty wrote "Looking up at the bright moon, bowing his head thinking about his hometown", Du Fu's "The dew is white tonight, the moon is bright in my hometown", Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty wrote "The spring breeze is green again on the south bank of the river, when will the bright moon shine on me again" and other poems, They are all eternal songs.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, the Lantern Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival are also known as the three traditional festivals in my country. The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is closely related to myths and legends such as "Chang'e flying to the moon", "Wu Gang conquering Gui", and "Jade Rabbit pounding medicine". Therefore, the folk customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival are mostly related to the moon. Appreciating the moon, worshiping the moon, eating reunion moon cakes, etc. all originate from this. Ancient emperors had a social system of worshiping the sun in spring and the moon in autumn, and people also had the custom of worshiping the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Later, appreciating the moon became more important than worshiping the moon, and serious sacrifices turned into relaxed entertainment. The custom of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival peaked in the Tang Dynasty. Many poets included poems praising the moon in their famous works. In the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, the activities of worshiping and appreciating the moon among the court and the people became more extensive. There are many ancient monuments such as "Moon Worship Altar", "Moon Worship Pavilion" and "Moon Watching Tower" remaining in various parts of our country. The "Altar of the Moon" in Beijing was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty for the royal family to worship the moon. Whenever the moon rises during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a table is set up in the open air, and moon cakes, pomegranates, dates and other fruits are offered on the table. After worshiping the moon, the whole family sits around the table, eats and talks, and enjoys the bright moon. Nowadays, the activities of worshiping and worshiping the moon have been replaced by large-scale and colorful mass moon-viewing recreational activities.

Eating moon cakes is another custom of the festival. Moon cakes symbolize reunion. The production of mooncakes has become more and more sophisticated since the Tang Dynasty. Su Dongpo wrote in a poem: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispness and sweetness in the middle." Yang Guangfu of the Qing Dynasty wrote: "Moon cakes are filled with peach meat fillings, and ice cream is sweet with cane sugar frosting." It seems that moon cakes at that time are quite different from those now. Close.

Many people often say that the Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the story of Chang'e flying to the moon. According to historical records: "In the past, Chang'e took the medicine of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West, and then flew to the moon and became the moon spirit." The price paid by Chang'e for this move was to be punished with hard labor and she would not be able to return to the world for the rest of her life. Li Bai was quite sad about this and wrote a poem: "The white rabbit makes medicine and autumn returns to spring. Who will the female Chang'e live next to?" Although Chang'e herself felt that the moon palace was good, she could not bear the loneliness. Every August 10th, Chang'e would live alone. When the moon is full and the night is clear, they return to the human world to reunite with their husbands, but they must return to the Moon Palace before dawn. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people in later generations not only want to go to the moon to reunite with Chang'e, but also hope that Chang'e will come down to earth to see her beautiful face. Therefore, when many people burn incense and worship the moon, they pray that "men may wish to go to the Toad Palace early and climb up to the fairy laurel...women may look like Chang'e and be as round as the bright moon." Year after year, people celebrate this day as a festival.

Some people believe that the Mid-Autumn Festival started when Emperor Ming of Tang Dynasty admired the moon. The Tang Dynasty's "Kaiyuan Legacy" records: On the Mid-Autumn Night, Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty and his concubine Yang Guifei were playing in the lower reaches of the moon. When they swam to a happy place, they went to the Moon Palace. The Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty also learned half of "The Song of Colorful Clothes and Feathers" in the Moon Palace. Later, Supplement it completely and become a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation. Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty never forgot his trip to the Moon Palace. At this time every year, he must admire the moon. The common people also followed suit and gathered together during the full moon to enjoy the beauty of the world. Over time, it became a tradition that was passed down.

Some people have suggested that the Mid-Autumn Festival was originally the anniversary of an uprising that overthrew the rule of the Yuan Dynasty. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the common people could not bear the government's rule. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, notes saying "Kill the Tatars and destroy the Yuan Dynasty; every family will start on August 15th" were hidden in small chrome pancakes and passed to each other. On the evening of August 15th, every household took action and overthrew the Yuan Dynasty in one fell swoop. Later, moon cakes were eaten every Mid-Autumn Festival to commemorate this historic victory.

Some people have also suggested that the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is related to agricultural production. Autumn is the harvest season. The explanation of the word "Autumn" is: "Autumn is when crops mature." During the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, crops and various fruits mature one after another. In order to celebrate the harvest and express their joy, farmers use the "Mid-Autumn Festival" as a festival. "Mid-Autumn Festival" means the middle of autumn. The eighth month of the lunar calendar is the middle month of autumn, and the 15th is the day in the middle of the month.

The word Mid-Autumn Festival appears in "Zhou Li", but it does not refer to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but to the second month of autumn.

There was an "Autumn Festival" in the Han Dynasty, but it was on the day of the Beginning of Autumn, not August 15th. There were records of the twelve festivals at four o'clock in the Tang Dynasty's books, and there was no Mid-Autumn Festival, but the "Mid-Autumn Festival" appeared in Tang poetry. ". "On the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, I send you off to the Mulan Boat" (Wei Zhuang's "Send Off Li Xiucai Returns to Jingxi"). The first person who made a clear record of the Mid-Autumn Festival was Wu Zishou, a native of the Southern Song Dynasty. He said in the book "Meng Liang Lu": "The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on August 15th. This day is about half of autumn, so it is called 'Mid-Autumn Festival'. '. The moon was twice as bright as usual on this night, and it was also called 'Yue Xi'." The book also describes the grand occasion of enjoying the moon and visiting the night market in Lin'an (now Hangzhou), the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.

The Mid-Autumn Festival generally has the following customs:

Sacrificing the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival

It is a very ancient custom in our country. According to historical records, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of worshiping the sun at the spring equinox, the earth at the summer solstice, the moon at the autumnal equinox, and the sky at the winter solstice. The places where they worship are called the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Earth, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of Heaven. It is divided into four directions: southeast, northwest and northwest. The Moon Altar in Beijing is where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshiped the moon. "Book of Rites" records: "The emperor faces the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. When the sun rises and falls, the moon falls on the eve." The eclipse of the eclipse moon here refers to the worship of the moon at night. This custom was not only pursued by the court and upper-class nobles, but also gradually affected the people with the development of society.

Literati appreciating the moon

The custom of appreciating the moon originated from worshiping the moon, and the serious worship turned into a relaxed entertainment. Folk activities of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but have not yet become a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular, and many poets included verses praising the moon in their famous works. By the Song Dynasty, a Mid-Autumn folk festival centered on moon-viewing activities was formed, which was officially designated as the Mid-Autumn Festival. Different from the people in the Tang Dynasty, people in the Song Dynasty were more sentimental about the moon when appreciating the moon. They often used the waxing and waning of clouds and clear moons to describe human emotions. Even on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the clear light of the moon could not hide the sadness of the Song people. But for people in the Song Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival has another form, that is, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival of secular joy: "Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, all shops sell new wine, noble families decorate their terraces and pavilions, and private families compete in restaurants to play in the moonlight and play music. Hearings from thousands of miles away, playing and sitting until dawn" ("Tokyo Menghua Lu"). The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Song Dynasty was a sleepless night. The night market was open all night and there were endless tourists enjoying the moon.

Folk worshiping the moon

After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the relationship of the times, the practical utilitarian factors in social life became more prominent, and the secular interest in festivals became more and more intense every year. "The lyrical and mythological literati tradition centered on it has weakened, and utilitarian worship, prayer and secular emotions and wishes constitute the main form of the Mid-Autumn Festival customs of ordinary people. Therefore, "folk worshiping the moon" has become a symbol of people's desire for reunion, happiness and happiness; they use the moon to express their feelings.

Moonlight Horse

In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the image of the Moon God underwent important changes. From the early purely Taoist picture of the Moon Palace with Chang'e as the main theme, it evolved into the Moonlight Bodhisattva and the Moonlight Bodhisattva that blended Buddhism and Taoism. The secular image of the Jade Rabbit and the Jade Rabbit. During this period, people worshiped the moonlight paper with the Moonlight Bodhisattva painted on it, also called "Moonlight Horse". Fucha Dunchong's "Yanjing Years" (1906). Records: "The moonlight horse is made of paper, with the lunar star king like a Bodhisattva on the top, and the moon palace and the rabbit pounding medicine on the bottom. The figure is standing upright and holding a pestle. The algae color is exquisite and resplendent. It is sold in many shops. The longer one is seven or eight feet, the shorter one is two or three feet. There are two flags on the top, made of red and green, or yellow, and they are burned with incense and worshiped towards the moon. After the sacrifice, they are burned together with thousands of pieces of gold and ingots. "< /p>

Rabbit Master

The origin of Rabbit Master dates back to the late Ming Dynasty. Ji Kun of the Ming Dynasty (who lived around 1636) wrote in "The Remaining Manuscript of Kao Pavilion": "On the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing, people usually wear rabbits in the shape of mud, with clothes and hats sitting like human figures, and children worship them." By the Qing Dynasty. , the function of Lord Rabbit has been transformed from offering sacrifices to the moon to being a Mid-Autumn Festival toy for children. The production is also becoming more and more sophisticated. Some are dressed as military commanders wearing armor and robes, some have paper flags or umbrellas on their backs, and some are sitting or standing. Sitting there are unicorns, tigers, leopards and so on. There are also vendors dressed as rabbit heads, or people who shave heads, or sew shoes, sell wontons, tea soup, and so on.

“Every Mid-Autumn Festival, some clever people in the city would use loess to roll out images of toads and rabbits for sale, and they were called Lord Rabbits.” In the old days, there were often stalls selling Lord Rabbits in the Dongsi Archway area of ??Beijing, specializing in the sale of toads and rabbits for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Use Lord Rabbit. In addition, Nanzhi Store also sells incense candles. This Lord Rabbit has been personified through the bold creation of folk artists. It has the body of a rabbit and holds a jade pestle. Later, some people imitated opera characters and carved Lord Rabbit into warriors with golden helmets, some riding lions, elephants and other beasts, and some riding peacocks, cranes and other birds. In particular, the rabbit riding a tiger is a strange thing, but it is a bold creation of folk artists.

There is also a rabbit with movable elbow joints and chin, commonly known as "Bada Zui", which is more lovable. Although it is an offering to worship the moon, it is actually a wonderful toy for children.

Playing with lanterns

There are many games and activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The first is playing with lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in my country, and people play with lanterns during the festival. Of course, there is no large-scale lantern festival like the Lantern Festival during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Playing with lanterns is mainly done among families and children.

As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, "Old Martial Arts" recorded the Mid-Autumn Festival customs of "putting a "little red" lantern into the river to float and play." People who play with lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival are mostly concentrated in the south. For example, at the Foshan Autumn Color Fair mentioned above, there are various kinds of lanterns: sesame lanterns, eggshell lanterns, wood shaving lanterns, straw lanterns, fish scale lanterns, chaff lanterns, melon seed lanterns, bird and animal flower tree lanterns, etc. People admire.

In addition, the game of burning tile lanterns (or burning flower towers, burning tile towers, burning fan towers) is also widely spread in the south, and is spread in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places. For example, Volume 5 of "China National Customs" records: Jiangxi "On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, ordinary children pick up tiles in the wild and pile them into a round tower shape with many holes. At dusk, they burn them in a tower of firewood under the bright moon. Once the tiles are red-hot , and then pour kerosene on the fire to add fuel to the fire. In an instant, the surrounding areas are red, shining like daylight. Until late at night, no one is watching, and then the fire is poured. This is called a burning tile lamp. The burning tile pagoda in Chaozhou, Guangdong is also made of bricks and tiles. The hollow tower is filled with branches and set on fire. At the same time, smoke piles are also burned, which is to pile firewood into piles and burn them after the moon worship. The burning of Fan Pagoda in the Guangxi border area is similar to this activity, but folklore is to commemorate the heroic battle of Liu Yongfu, a famous anti-French general in the Qing Dynasty, who burned the Fan ghosts (French invaders) who escaped into the tower. It is quite popular. Patriotic thoughts. There is also a "tazai burning" activity in Jinjiang, Fujian.

It is said that this custom is related to the righteous act of resisting Yuan soldiers. After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, it carried out bloody rule over the Han people, so the Han people resisted unyieldingly. Various places organized riots on the Mid-Autumn Festival and lit fires on the top of the pagoda as a sign. Similar to the Fenghuo Tower lighting uprising, although this kind of resistance was suppressed, the custom of burning pagodas remained. This legend is similar to the legend of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Other Mid-Autumn Festival customs

China has a vast territory, a large population, and different customs. The ways to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival are also diverse and have strong local characteristics.

In Pucheng, Fujian, women have to cross the Nanpu Bridge during the Mid-Autumn Festival in order to live longer. In Jianning, hanging lanterns on the Mid-Autumn Festival night is a good omen to ask for a child from the Moon Palace. People in Shanghang County celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, and most of their children ask the moon aunt when they worship the moon. When Longyan people eat moon cakes, parents will dig out a round cake with a diameter of two or three inches in the center for the elders to eat, which means that secrets cannot be known to the younger generations. This custom stems from the legend that mooncakes contain anti-Yuan messages to kill enemies. Before worshiping the moon during the Kinmen Mid-Autumn Festival, you must first worship God.

In Chaoshan, Guangdong, there is a custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, mainly for women and children. There is a common saying that "men do not worship the full moon, women do not worship the stove". In the evening, when the bright moon rises, women set up tables in the courtyard and on the balcony to pray in the air. Silver candles were burning high, incense was lingering, and the table was filled with fruits and cakes as offerings. There is also the local custom of eating taro during the Mid-Autumn Festival. There is a proverb in Chaoshan: "When the river and the stream meet, the taro will be eaten." In August, it is the taro harvest season, and farmers are accustomed to using taro to worship their ancestors. Although this is related to farming, there is also a widely circulated legend among the people: In 1279, the Mongolian nobles destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty, established the Yuan Dynasty, and brutally ruled the Han people. Ma Fa defended Chaozhou against the Yuan Dynasty. After the city was broken, the people were massacred. In order not to forget the suffering of the Hu people's rule, later generations used taro, which is homophonic with "beard head" and resembles a human head, to pay homage to their ancestors. This has been passed down from generation to generation and still exists today.

Burning pagodas on Mid-Autumn Festival is also very popular in some places. The tower height ranges from 1 to 3 meters, and is mostly built with broken tiles. Large towers are also built with bricks, accounting for about 1/4 of the tower height, and then stacked tiles, leaving a gap at the top. The tower mouth is used for putting fuel. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, fires are lit, and the fuel includes wood, bamboo, chaff, etc. When the fire is strong, rosin powder is poured on it to ignite the flames, which is very spectacular. There are also folk rules for burning pagodas. Whoever burns the pagoda until the whole pagoda is red will win. The one who fails to do so or collapses during the burning process will lose. The winner will be given colorful flags, bonuses or prizes by the host. It is said that the burning of pagodas is also the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival uprising in which the Han people resisted the brutal rulers in the late Yuan Dynasty and used fire as a sign.

Folks in the Jiangnan area also have various customs during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Nanjing people love to eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they must eat Jinling's famous dish, osmanthus duck. "Osmanthus duck" is on the market when osmanthus is fragrant. It is fat but not greasy and delicious.

After drinking, you must eat a small amount of sugar taro and pour it with cinnamon syrup. It goes without saying that it is delicious. "Guijiang" is named after Qu Yuan's "Songs of Chu? Shao Siming" "In aid of the closure of the north, we can drink cinnamon pulp." Guijiang, a sugar osmanthus, is picked around the Mid-Autumn Festival and pickled with sugar and sour plums. Jiangnan women are skillful in turning the things chanted in poems into delicacies on the table. Nanjing people call it "Celebrating Reunion" when admiring the moon as a family, "Full Moon" when they sit together and drink together, and "Walking on the Moon" when going out to the market.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Nanjing looked toward the moon tower and Wanyue Bridge, and the lions in the Qing Dynasty The Chaoyue Tower is built at the foot of the mountain for people to admire the moon, especially those who visit the Moon Bridge. When the moon is high in the sky, people go to the Moon Tower and visit the Moon Bridge together, and enjoy seeing the Jade Rabbit. "Wanyue Bridge" is located in the Confucius Temple in Qinhuai, Henan. Next to the bridge is the residence of Ma Xianglan, a famous prostitute. That night, scholars gathered at the bridge to play the sheng and Xiao, reminiscing about Niuzhu playing with the moon and composing poems to the moon, so it was called the Wanyue Bridge. . After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, it gradually declined, and later generations had poems to write about it: "Fengliu Nanqu has been sold out, leaving only the West Wind Long Banqiao, but I recall the jade man sitting on the bridge, teaching me how to play the flute when the moon is bright." The long Banqiao is the original Wanyue Bridge. In recent years, Nanjing Confucius Temple has been renovated, restoring some pavilions from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and dredging the river. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can come together to enjoy the fun of moonlighting here.

In Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province, incense sticks are burned on the Mid-Autumn Festival night. The incense cup is surrounded by gauze and silk, with scenes from the Moon Palace painted on it. There are also incense buckets made of incense threads, with Kuixing and colorful flags tied with paper inserted on them. The Shanghainese Mid-Autumn Festival feast is served with sweet-scented osmanthus honey wine.

In Ji'an County, Jiangxi Province, on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, every village uses straw to burn earthen pots. After the crock is hot, add vinegar. At this time, the fragrance will fill the whole village. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Xincheng County, grass lanterns are hung from the night of August 11th until August 17th.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival in Wuyuan, Anhui Province, children build a hollow pagoda with bricks and tiles. Decorations such as curtains and plaques are hung on the tower. A table is placed in front of the tower and various utensils for worshiping the "God of the Tower" are displayed. At night, lights are lit inside and outside. Children in Jixi play Mid-Autumn Festival cannons. The Mid-Autumn Cannon is made of straw tied into a braid, soaked and then picked up and struck on a stone to make a loud noise and a fire dragon custom. The fire dragon is a dragon made of grass with incense sticks stuck on its body. During the Fire Dragon Tour, a gong and drum team will accompany you. After visiting various villages, you will be sent to the river.

In addition to eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people in Sichuan Province also make cakes, kill ducks, and eat sesame cakes, honey cakes, etc. In some places, orange lanterns are also lit and hung at the door to celebrate. There are also children who put incense on grapefruits and dance along the street, which is called "Dancing the Meteor Fragrance Ball". During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Jiading County, they worship the earth god, perform dramas, vocal music, and cultural relics, which is called "watching the party."

In In the north, farmers in Qingyun County, Shandong Province worship the God of Earth and Valley on August 15th, which is called "Qingmiao Society". In addition to worshiping the moon, people in Zhucheng, Linyi, Jimo and other places also have to visit their graves to worship their ancestors. Landlords in Guanxian, Laiyang, Guangrao and Youcheng also entertained their tenants during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Jimo, people eat a special food called "Wheat Arrow". In Lu'an, Shanxi Province, they treat their son-in-law to a banquet during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Datong County, mooncakes are called reunion cakes, and there is a custom of keeping vigil on Mid-Autumn Night.

Wanquan County in Hebei Province calls the Mid-Autumn Festival "Little New Year's Day". On the moonlight paper, there are figures of the Lunar Star King and Emperor Guan reading the Spring and Autumn Festival at night. People in Hejian County believe that Mid-Autumn rain is bitter rain. If it rains during the Mid-Autumn Festival, locals believe that vegetables must taste bad.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival night in Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province, a man went boating and climbed a cliff, while the woman arranged a banquet. Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, you must eat watermelon. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are drummers who play drums along the door to ask for rewards. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Luochuan County, parents led their students to bring gifts to pay homage to their husbands, and there were more lunches than on-campus dinners.

Many special Mid-Autumn Festival customs have also been formed in some places. In addition to appreciating the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon, and eating moon cakes, there are also fire dragon dances in Hong Kong, pagodas in Anhui, tree Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangzhou, burning pagodas in Jinjiang, watching the moon at Shihu Lake in Suzhou, moon worship by the Dai people, and moon dancing by the Miao people. , Dong people’s moon-stealing vegetables, Gaoshan people’s ball dance, etc.