The origin and legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in my country with a long history. Like other traditional festivals, it also developed slowly. Ancient emperors had a ritual system of worshiping the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. According to historical records, the word "Mid-Autumn Festival" was already recorded 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. Later, nobles and literati also followed suit. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, they would look at the bright and round moon in the sky, watch and worship, and express their feelings. This custom was spread to the people and became a traditional activity until the Tang Dynasty. After that, people paid more attention to the custom of worshiping the moon, and the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. "Book of Tang·Taizong Ji" records the "Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th". This festival was popular in the Song Dynasty and became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is as famous as New Year's Day and has become one of the major festivals in our country. There are many customs and forms of the Mid-Autumn Festival, but they all express people's infinite love for life and yearning for a better life.

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Chinese lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Zhongqiu. The moon on August 15th is rounder and brighter than the full moon in other months, so it is also called "Yuexi" and "August Festival". This night, when people look up at the bright moon in the sky, they naturally look forward to family reunions. Wanderers who are far away from home also use this to express their longing for their hometown and relatives. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the "Reunion Festival".

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in my country. According to historical records, the word "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.

According to our country's calendar, the eighth month of the lunar calendar is in the middle of autumn and is the second month of autumn, so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". The fifteenth day of August is in the middle of "Mid-Autumn Festival", so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". ". The Mid-Autumn Festival has many nicknames: because the festival falls on August 15th, it is called "August Festival" and "August Half"; because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are all centered around the "month", it is also commonly known as "Moon Festival" "Moon Eve"; the full moon on Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival". In the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called the "Duanzheng Month". Records about the "Reunion Festival" first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. "West Lake Tour Notes" says: "August 15th is 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. Festival also". 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, rabbit and other patterns are pressed on the outside. . After the moon sacrifice, the elders of the family will divide the cake into pieces according to the number of people, and each person will have one piece. If someone is not at home, a portion will be left for them to express family reunion.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and clear. In addition to holding a series of activities such as admiring the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon, eating moon cakes, and blessing reunions, in some places there are grass dragon dances, pagoda building, etc. Activity. In addition to mooncakes, various seasonal fresh and dried fruits are also delicacies on Mid-Autumn Night.

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 every family worships the God of the Earth. The Mid-Autumn Festival may be the legacy of the Autumn Announcement.

This is also the second largest traditional festival in our country after the Spring Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history, and the legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival are also very rich. Mythical stories such as Chang'e flying to the moon, Wu Gang cutting osmanthus, and the Jade Rabbit making medicine are widely circulated.

One of the legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival - Chang'e flying to the moon

According to legend, in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky at the same time, which caused the crops to wither and the people to live in dire straits. A hero named Hou Yi, who Infinitely, he sympathized with the suffering people, climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain, exerted his magical power, drew his magical bow, and shot down more than nine suns in one go, and strictly ordered the last sun to rise and set on time to benefit the people.

As a result, Hou Yi was respected and loved by the people. Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind-hearted wife named Chang'e. In addition to spreading his skills and hunting, Hou Yi stayed with his wife all day long. People envied this loving couple with talent and beauty.

Many people with lofty ideals came here to learn from Tou Shi, and Peng Meng with evil intentions also got in.

One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and seek enlightenment. He happened to meet the Queen Mother who was passing by, and asked the Queen Mother for a package of elixir. It is said that if you take this medicine, you can immediately ascend to heaven and become an immortal. However, Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife, so he had to temporarily give the elixir to Chang'e for collection.

Chang'e hid the medicine in the treasure box on the dressing table. Unexpectedly, the villain Peng Meng saw it. He wanted to steal the elixir and become an immortal himself.

Three days later, Hou Yi led his disciples out for hunting. Peng Meng, who had evil intentions, pretended to be sick and stayed behind. Soon after Hou Yi led everyone away, Peng Meng broke into the backyard of the inner house with a sword and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir. Chang'e knew that she was no match for Peng Meng. In the critical moment, she made a prompt decision, turned around, opened the treasure box, took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. Chang'e swallowed the medicine, and her body immediately floated off the ground, rushed out of the window, and flew to the sky. Because Chang'e cared about her husband, she flew to the moon closest to the world and became an immortal.

In the evening, Hou Yi returned home, and the maids cried and told what happened during the day. Hou Yi was frightened and angry, so he drew his sword to kill the villain, but Peng Meng had already escaped. Hou Yi was so angry that he beat his chest and was heartbroken. He looked up at the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife. At this time, he was surprised to find that the moon today was particularly special. It is bright and bright, and there is a swaying figure that looks like Chang'e. He chased the moon desperately, but he chased three steps, the moon took three steps back, he took three steps back, and the moon took three steps forward. No matter what, he couldn't catch up.

Houyi had no choice but to miss his wife, so he had to send people to Chang'e's favorite back garden, set up an incense table, put her favorite sweetmeats and fresh fruits, and offer sacrifices to him in the moon palace. of Chang'e. After the common people heard the news that Chang'e flew to the moon and became an immortal, they set up incense tables under the moon and prayed to the kind-hearted Chang'e for good luck and peace.

Since then, the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people.

Mid-Autumn Legend No. 2 - Wu Gang won the laurel

There is another legend about the Mid-Autumn Festival: It is said that the laurel tree in front of the Guanghan Palace on the moon grows luxuriantly and is more than 500 feet tall. There is a man below who is always cutting it down, but every time he cuts it down, the cut area immediately closes up again. For thousands of years, this osmanthus tree has been cut down as it goes. This osmanthus tree can never be cut down. It is said that the man who cut down the tree was named Wu Gang, who was from Xihe in the Han Dynasty. He once followed the immortals to practice Taoism and reached heaven. However, he made a mistake, and the immortals demoted him to the Moon Palace, where he did such futile and hard work every day as punishment. . There is a record in Li Bai's poem "If you want to cut the laurel in the moon, you will hold on to the salary of those who are cold".

The third legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival - Zhu Yuanzhang and the Mooncake Uprising

Eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have begun in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the vast number of people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the Yuan Dynasty's ruling class, and they revolted against the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang united various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. However, the officers and soldiers of the court conducted a very strict search, making it very difficult to convey the news. Military counselor Liu Bowen came up with a plan and ordered his subordinates to hide the note with "uprising on August 15th" in the cakes, and then sent people to deliver it to the insurrectionary armies in various places, informing them to respond to the uprising on the night of August 15th. . On the day of the uprising, all rebel armies responded together, and the insurrectionary army was like a spark igniting a prairie fire.

Soon, Xu Da captured Yuan Dadu and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so happy that he quickly handed down an oral order to let all the soldiers and the people enjoy the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, and to reward the ministers with the "mooncakes" that were used to secretly convey the message when the army was launched as seasonal cakes. Since then, the production of "mooncakes" has become more and more sophisticated, with more varieties, and the large ones are as big as discs, which have become a good gift. From then on, the custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

The fourth legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival - Hou Yi shooting the sun

According to the legend, Hou Yi and Chang'e were both people from the time of Yao. The myth says that during the time of Yao, there were ten suns in the sky at the same time. Appearing in the sky, it scorched the land and withered the crops. People were breathless from the heat and fell to the ground unconscious. Because of the extremely hot weather, some strange birds and beasts also ran out of the dry rivers and lakes and flaming forests, killing people everywhere.

The disasters on earth alarmed the gods in heaven. Chang Jun, the Emperor of Heaven, ordered Hou Yi, who was good at archery, to come down to earth to assist Yao in eliminating the suffering of the people. Hou Yi came to the world with a red bow, a bag of white arrows given to him by the Emperor of Heaven, and his beautiful wife Chang'e.

Hou Yi immediately began to shoot the sun. He took off the red bow from his shoulder, took out the white arrows, and shot them one by one at the arrogant sun. In an instant, nine of the ten suns were shot away, just because Yao believed that one sun should be left behind for the people. It was useful and stopped Hou Yi from continuing to shoot. This is the famous story of Hou Yi shooting the sun.

However, Hou Yi's great achievements were jealous of other gods. They went to the Emperor of Heaven to slander him, so that the Emperor of Heaven finally alienated Hou Yi and finally demoted him to the human world forever. After being wronged, Hou Yi and his wife Chang'e had to live in seclusion in the world and make a living by Hou Yi's hunting.

How did Chang'e fly to the moon? There are various versions in ancient books. According to the record in "Huainanzi", Hou Yi felt sorry for his wife who had been relegated to the mortal world due to his involvement, so he went to the Queen Mother of the West to ask for the elixir of immortality, so that they could live harmoniously in the world forever. Chang'e couldn't get used to the poor life. When Hou Yi was not at home, she secretly took all the elixir of life and fled to the moon. Another theory is the record in "Tianwen" written by Qu Yuan (about 340 BC? 78), which states that Hou Yi later acted unfaithfully to Chang'e and had an affair with Hebo's wife, which caused Chang'e great dissatisfaction. , then he left Hou Yi and ran to heaven. After Chang'e flew to the moon, she soon regretted it. She thought of her husband's daily kindness to her and the warmth of the world. Compared with the loneliness in the moon, she felt even more desolate.

Concerning the death of Hou Yi, "Mencius" written by the thinker Mencius during the Warring States Period (approximately 372 BC - 89 BC) and "Mencius" compiled by Liu An (179 BC - 22 AD) in the early Western Han Dynasty "Huainanzi" all said that he was assassinated by his disciple Pengmeng who wanted to repay kindness with hatred. There are different records of the means of assassination. Some say that he was beaten to death with a mahogany stick, and some say that he was shot to death with hidden arrows. In short, this unparalleled hero died in the hands of conspirators.

Some legends also say that Hou Yi’s spirit lingered after his death and became the god Zhong Kui who fought ghosts. This statement was verified by the famous Chinese historian Gu Jiegang (1893-1980) based on records in ancient books such as "Huainanzi". This statement actually reflects the infinite memory of the ancient people of our country for this tragically deceased hero.

Customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival in various places

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Chinese lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Zhongqiu. The moon on August 15th is rounder and brighter than the full moon in other months, so it is also called "Yuexi" and "August Festival". This night, when people look up at the bright moon in the sky, they naturally look forward to family reunions. Wanderers who are far away from home also use this to express their longing for their hometown and relatives. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the "Reunion Festival".

Our people have had the custom of "autumn twilight and evening moon" in ancient times. On the eve of the moon, worship the moon god. By the Zhou Dynasty, every Mid-Autumn Festival night would be held to welcome the cold and worship the moon. Set up a large incense table and place mooncakes, watermelons, apples, dates, plums, grapes and other offerings. Mooncakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. The watermelon should also be cut into lotus shapes. Under the moon, the moon statue is placed in the direction of the moon, the red candle is burned high, the whole family worships the moon in turn, and then the housewife cuts the reunion moon cake. The person who cuts the food must calculate in advance how many people are in the family. Those who are at home and those who are out of town must be counted together. They cannot cut more or less, and the sizes must be the same.

According to legend, Wu Yan, an ugly girl from the ancient Qi State, worshiped the moon devoutly when she was a child. When she grew up, she entered the palace with outstanding moral character, but she was not favored. On August 15th of a certain year, the emperor saw her under the moonlight while admiring the moon. He thought she was beautiful and outstanding, so he made her his queen. This is how the Mid-Autumn Festival came to worship the moon. In the middle of the moon, Chang'e is famous for her beauty, so the girl worships the moon and wishes that she "looks like Chang'e and has a face like the bright moon."

In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular. In the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. On the night of August 15th, people all over the city, rich and poor, old and young, wear adult clothes, burn incense and worship the moon, express their wishes and pray for the blessing of the moon god. In the Southern Song Dynasty, people gave each other mooncakes as gifts to symbolize reunion. In some places, there are activities such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival have become more popular; many places have formed special customs such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn Festival trees, lighting tower lanterns, releasing sky lanterns, walking on the moon, and dancing fire dragons.

Today, the custom of playing under the moon is far less popular than in the past. However, it is still very popular to hold banquets to admire the moon. People drink wine to admire the moon to celebrate a good life, or wish their relatives far away to be healthy and happy, and to "live thousands of miles away" with their families.

There are many Mid-Autumn Festival customs and different forms, but they all embody people's infinite love for life.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people’s main activities are admiring the moon and eating moon cakes.

Moon Appreciation

Whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, our country has the custom of appreciating the moon since ancient times. Appreciating the moon and talking about it have become a long-standing topic among people.

Tracing back to the origin of moon appreciation in the Mid-Autumn Festival, according to the "Preface to the Poetry of Wan Yue in Chang'an": "Autumn is in time, summer comes before winter; August comes in autumn, and the season begins and ends; on the night of the 15th, the moon comes again In the middle. According to the way of heaven, the cold and heat are equal, and according to the number of months, the toad soul is round." That is to say, August 15th is in the middle of autumn, so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". Why do people love admiring the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival? There is a poem that says: "There is a bright moon at four o'clock, so what is the reason for celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival? It is advisable to hang the jade mirror on the highest head of the Yaotai treasure mirror; it releases thousands of feet of white gold, scattered into the same color as the sky. All things come into my eyes, and the stars are shining. Avoid the light, and the wind and dew will help you feel quiet."

From a seasonal perspective, Zhongzhong is the "Autumn Harvest Festival". The grains sown in spring and summer will be harvested in autumn. Since ancient times, people have been drinking in this season. Dancing and joyfully celebrating the harvest are described in the "Book of Songs", the earliest collection of poems in my country. In terms of origin, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also the "Moon Sacrifice Festival", which originated from ancient humans' worship of nature. In the ritual system of ancient emperors, there were two sacrifices in spring and autumn: the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. Initially, the day of worshiping the moon was on the "autumn equinox". The season of "autumn equinox" is different every year in August, so there may not necessarily be a moon on the day of the autumnal equinox. It would be a great disgrace to worship the moon without the moon. Gradually, it became a common practice and the day of worshiping the moon was fixed. On August 15th. From scientific observations, the tilt of the earth and the sun increases in autumn, and the warm and humid air over China gradually subsides. At this time, the northwest wind is still very weak. In this way, when the humidity has gone and the dust has not risen, the air looks particularly fresh, the sky is particularly clean, and the moon looks round and big. This is the best time to enjoy the moon. Just as the ancient poem says: "It's bright and bright. In ancient and modern times, we only admire the Mid-Autumn Moon, and wonder how it is different from the moonlight? It is all because of the clear air in the world and the sky."

The "Book of Rites" records "Autumn twilight and evening moon" ", that is, worshiping the moon god. By the Zhou Dynasty, every Mid-Autumn Festival night would be held to welcome the cold and worship the moon. Set up a large incense table and place mooncakes, watermelons, apples, plums, grapes and other seasonal fruits. Mooncakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable.

The watermelon should also be cut into lotus shapes.

The folk activity of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties and flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, appreciating and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular. According to Song Zhuyi's "Quxiao Old News": "I don't know when the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival started. Archaeologists started writing poems with Du Zimei." "Browsing Tang poetry, there are indeed many poems about appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. For example, Wang Jianyou's poem says: "The moon seems round and its color gradually condenses, and the water in the jade basin wants to invade the edges. The whole family is allowed to sleep late at night, and no lights are burned until dawn. "Xu Ning's poem goes: "The bright autumn moon is full in August, Chang'e is upright and the cassia branches are fresh; nothing in a year is like this night, and I can't sleep in front of the twelve peaks. ”

In the Song Dynasty, the folk custom of enjoying the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival became more and more prosperous. According to "Tokyo Menghualu", there is such a description of the grand moon-viewing event in Kyoto in the Northern Song Dynasty: "On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, noble families decorated their terraces and pavilions, and private families competed for them." In the restaurant, we played moon music and sang songs, heard from thousands of miles away, and played with me until dawn." "The New Drunkard's Talk" records: "The children of the Qingcheng family do not think that they are rich or poor, but they are all dressed in adult clothes. Climbing the tower or worshiping the moon in the atrium, everyone has their own expectations: men want to go to the Toad Palace early and climb up to the fairy osmanthus; women want to look like Chang'e and be as round as the bright moon. "Every day on this day, all shops and restaurants in the capital will redecorate their facades. The archways will be tied with silk and decorated, and fresh fruits and refined foods will be sold. The night market is bustling with people. People enjoy the moon on the pavilions and pavilions, serve food or arrange a family banquet, reunite their children, and enjoy the moon and talk together.

After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of enjoying the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival remained the same. When the full moon rises in the east, people put out moon cakes, grapefruits, pomegranates, taro, walnuts, peanuts, prunes and other fruits in the courtyards and balconies. They enjoy the moon while chatting until the full moon is in the sky, and then share the moon cakes and offer them to the moon. It is a joyful time. In many places, special customs such as burning incense, lighting lanterns on towers, setting off sky lanterns, walking on the moon, and dancing fire dragons have been formed in many places. On the day of Mid-Autumn Festival, unique "moon worship" is also held. ", "Moon Making", "Moon Walking", "Moon Jumping", "Moon Stealing" and other colorful activities.

The blue sky is as clear as a wash and the full moon is like a plate. People are enjoying the full moon. People can't help but miss their relatives who are traveling far away and living in foreign lands. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the "Reunion Festival". Many ancient poems express people's longing at this time: "Wanli Night". In Wuyunjing Jiuzhou, the most reunion night is the Mid-Autumn Festival. "Wang Jian's poem "Watching the Moon on the Fifteenth Night and Sent to Du Langzhong" says: "Tonight, when the moon is bright, everyone is looking at me, and I don't know who is thinking about autumn. "Chinese people have always regarded the reunion of family members, relatives and friends, and the enjoyment of family life as extremely precious. There has always been a saying that "people reunite when flowers are blooming and the moon is full."

Ten Best Places to Appreciate the Moon

1. Watching the moon at Mount Lushan

The beautiful Mount Lushan stands on the south bank of the Yangtze River, on the shore of Poyang Lake. Watching the moon at Shangkuanglu on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival may be an unforgettable experience in your life. It has the reputation of "cool world" and "summer resort". It is a good place to enjoy red leaves in autumn. The mountain has fresh air, forests, flowers and birds, hot springs, waterfalls, cliffs and villas, forming a complete leisure ferry. It is a fake tourist attraction. Hanpokou of Lushan Mountain is the best place to watch the sunrise, but it is also a good place to watch the moon. Sit down in the Poyang Lake, with a vast expanse of blue waves, dotted with fishing fires, and gentle breeze. A bright moon rises slowly from the other side of the lake. The moonlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival looks clearer and brighter on the mountain, as if it is within reach, making people want to ride on the wind, or walk in Guling Town. Looking up, the bright moon is like a mirror, the moonlight is scattered on the ground, and everything is covered with a layer of silver luster.

2.. Huangshan invites the moon

The beauty of Huangshan is colorful. It is also the Mid-Autumn Festival in the early autumn of the South, but the mountains are covered with red leaves, making the world-famous Huangshan Guest Pine look even more green at night, with the bright moon gently climbing up the trees. As you climb up the mountain, the mountain mist shrouds it like a veil, making it even more hazy and bright. The moon in Huangshan is so pure, and the night in Huangshan is so quiet. At this time, whether you are walking on the mountain road or in the mountains. While tasting wine and admiring the moon on the mountain, you will be intoxicated by this silvery world.

3. Looking up at the moon at the Three Gorges

The world-famous Three Gorges of the Yangtze River are filled with majestic mountains. , and there are many rocks. At night, when the moon shines brightly on the river, you can listen to the surging waves and watch the night scenery of the distant mountains. The Three Gorges in the dim night has a unique scenery. Influenced by the slogan "Farewell to the Three Gorges Tour" before the Yangtze River was closed, many tourists mistakenly believed that the water level of the Yangtze River would be after the closure. will rise, the scenic spots will be submerged, and the Three Gorges cannot be visited. In fact, after the closure of the Three Gorges, not only the scenic spots are as beautiful as before, but also the magnificent scenery of the "Three Gorges Dam", the largest water conservancy project in the world, has been added. On a moonlit night, drinking tea and admiring the moon with friends on the large observation deck of a luxury cruise ship is truly one of life's great pleasures.

4. Moon Tour on the West Lake

The beauty of West Lake in Hangzhou is well known to all. On the moonlit night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can enjoy the poetic artistic conception of "smoke in the autumn water and the moon in the gauze". It is one of the three islands in the West Lake and has been one of the three places to enjoy the moon since ancient times. A stone pagoda stands gracefully on the sparkling lake. Every moonlit night, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival, candles are lit in the pagoda, and the opening is covered with tissue paper. The light shines through, like small moons, reflecting in the lake. When the bright moon is in the sky, the moonlight, lights and lake light complement each other, and the moon shadow, tower shadow, and cloud shadow merge into one "a lake of golden water that is about to melt into autumn."

5. Shihu Moon

Shihu is nine kilometers southwest of Suzhou City. There is a Nine-ring Cave Bridge to the east of Shihu Lake, also called Xingchun Bridge. This is the best place to watch the full moon on Shihu Lake. Every midnight on the 17th day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon turns to the west, the clear light shines through the nine ring holes and shines directly on the water in the north. At this time, sparkling microwaves can be seen on the surface of Shihu Lake, and the shadow of a string of moons is rippling in the center of the waves. This is the wonder of "Moon on Shihu Lake". During these two or three days, light boats came and went in Shihu Lake, and the sound of strings and bamboo strings sang all night long. On the mountain above, under the Lenggong Pagoda, the bright moon is in the sky, the sky is clear, the lake is rippled, the mountains are misty, and there is a clear light.

6. Xiangshan Night Moon

In Xiangshan, Guilin, Guangxi. There is a water-moon cave between the elephant's trunk and body, and the river flows through the cave. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, if you take a small boat up the river and enter the Shuiyue Cave, you will see the wonderful scenery of "there is a bright moon at the bottom of the water, and a bright moon floating on the water; the water flows even if the moon does not go away, and the moon does not flow back after it goes".

7. The sound of oars and the shadow of the moon in the water town

Not only the autumn moon in the West Lake and the three ponds in Zhejiang are moving, but the moon in the water town of Shaoxing is even more charming. The ancient city of Shaoxing has crisscrossed rivers, meandering waterways, connected stone bridges, and numerous wine shops. Its water, scenery, calligraphy, rice wine, and moonlight are intoxicating. The moonlit night in the water town is as lively and elegant as an ink painting. You can take a Shaoxing-unique awning boat to roam the water town at night. The boatman rows with his feet at the stern of the boat, as if he is riding a bicycle, while tasting rice wine and anise beans, and the light moonlight follows The sound of Yinai's oars flows over, and the lights and shadows in the small building with white walls and blue tiles facing the river are reflected in the water, which is like a dream, making people guess Du Yue's thoughts and read the plot of the water carefully. In Shaoxing, you can visit Lu Xun's former residence, Baicao Garden, Sanwei Bookstore, Orchid Pavilion, Yuji Mountain and Jianshui, and Xianfeng Hotel. The scenery is like poetry and painting, the scenery contains culture, and each has its own interest. Ningbo, not far from Shaoxing, has the tradition of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 16. Looking at the moon in Tianyi Pavilion, the autumn moon looks the same every year. I wonder who the autumn moon is waiting for? Fenghua Xikou is surrounded by mountains and rivers, quiet and beautiful. Take a boat from Ningbo to Putuo Mountain, the Buddhist land of Haitian, where you can see the spectacular sight of the bright moon and the rising tide on the sea. Appreciating the moon in the Chaozhou sound ethics has an otherworldly flavor.

8. Mount Emei embraces autumn with half a moon

Mount Emei, known as "Emei is the most beautiful place in the world", is one of the four famous mountains in Chinese Buddhism. It is named because there are peaks that look like Mount Emei. The whole mountain stretches for more than 200 kilometers, with the summit of Ten Thousand Buddhas Peak at an altitude of 3,099 meters. It is majestic and beautiful, with a myriad of atmospheres. There are many temples on the mountain, dense shade and mist. The 24 ancient temples are located close to the mountains, each with its own characteristics. Watching the moon in the middle of the mountain, the peaks are like Mount Emei, and the moon is like a golden plate, there is a special sense of tranquility and beauty. Watching the autumn moon in Fangchi, the shadows of the waves are melting, the water comes to rinse the jade, and the waves go to look for pearls. The autumn wind on the white water, the evening bell of Shengji, the fragrance of the twin bridges, and the verdant Lingyan rocks are one after another. In particular, the "Four Wonders of Emei" on the Golden Summit - sunrise, sea of ??clouds, Buddha's light, holy lanterns and the group of Emei monkeys visible along the way are even more interesting. After descending from Mount Emei, you can visit the Giant Buddha and go to the Pingqiang Three Gorges, 23 kilometers north of Leshan City. After the Fengjie Festival, you can visit the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River and experience the magnificence of the Three Gorges under the bright moon.

9. The moon is clear in Dongting Lake

The grass in Dongting is almost Mid-Autumn Festival, and there is no wind at all. The endless reeds sway all over the lake in golden color. Eight hundred miles away, the Dongting is filled with waves of smoke, shaking the blue sky, and leaves and boats catching the setting sun. The wind and rain of 1700 years have not made the Yueyang Tower old. When you climb up the stairs in the day, you can see the clear autumn sky thousands of miles away, and the water flows with the sky. Clarity. You can see the "Autumn Moon in Dongting", "Returning to the Sail in Yuanpu" and "Sunset in the Fishing Village" in Xiaoxiang's eight poems. Junshan, a small island in the lake, has many historic sites such as the Xiangfei Temple, Liuyi Well, Chuanshu Pavilion, etc., and the shadows of bamboos such as spotted bamboo and lianli bamboo are whirling. If you have enough time, you can go to Changsha, which is a 3-hour drive away, visit Yuelu Mountain, visit Yuelu Academy, watch the kumquats on Juzizhou begin to ripen, and the moonlight on the ancient city wall of Tianxin Pavilion has a simple and desolate flavor.

10. The sky is vast and the moon is speechless

The beautiful prairie south of Lanzhou, Gansu Province, runs through seven provinces and cities including Xiahe, Luqu, Maqu and Hehe. Although there are not as many flowers as in summer here in autumn, there are galsang flowers, fragrant chai flowers, small wild chrysanthemums, dandelions...the stars are dotted and the colors complement each other, creating an artistic conception of flowers flying everywhere in Gannan. The grasslands, mountains, rivers and lakes coexist closely, and the ancient Tibetan Buddhist temples add some mystery and temptation. Xiahe is the first stop on the Gannan tour. It is known as "Little Tibet" and houses the Labrang Monastery, the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism with the largest collection of books in the world. Moraceae grassland and Gesanghua grassland are connected one after another. The grasslands in Maqu are also beautiful, and the Yellow River in Maqu is spectacular. The Yellow River flows through here and suddenly makes a curve, forming the most beautiful scenery of "Nine Bends and Eighteen Bays of the Yellow River in the World". In the autumn night, half the moon climbed down, and the moonlight shone on the continuous peaks on the bank of the Yellow River. The breeze blew gently, like the waves humming. The prairie became quieter and quieter. Not even the sound of the shepherd dogs could be heard, as if everything had fallen silent. Falling asleep. Under the bright moon, the Yellow River is clean, quiet, and a little shy; while the grassland under the moon is even more empty and quiet. The complex sky and vast fields are condensed in the moonlight of the grassland on the horizon. There are many Langmusi temples in Luqu County. The temples are high and low hidden in the lush valleys. The sutra halls are magnificent, and the Buddhist residences, monks' rooms, and private houses have wooden roofs and stone walls. They have different styles. The sky is blue, the mountains are white, the grass is green, and the water is clear. Swiss scenery.

Eating moon cakes

People in both urban and rural areas of our country have the custom of eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. As the saying goes: "August and fifteenth are full, and Mid-Autumn moon cakes are fragrant and sweet." Moon cakes were originally used as sacrifices to worship the moon god. The word "moon cake" was first seen in "Meng Liang Lu" written by Wu Zimu in the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, it was just a cake-shaped food like caltrop cake. Later, people gradually combined the Mid-Autumn moon appreciation with the tasting of mooncakes, which symbolized family reunion.

Mooncakes were originally made at home. Yuan Mei of the Qing Dynasty recorded the making of mooncakes in the "Sui Yuan Food List". In modern times, there have been workshops specializing in making mooncakes. The production of mooncakes has become more and more sophisticated, with sophisticated fillings and beautiful appearance. Various exquisite patterns are printed on the outside of the mooncakes, such as "Chang'e Flying to the Moon", "Galaxy" "Yueyue", "Three Pools Reflecting the Moon", etc. The roundness of the moon signifies people's reunion, and the roundness of cakes signifies people's eternal life. Mooncakes are used to convey the feeling of missing one's hometown and relatives, and to pray for a good harvest and happiness. These have become the wishes of people all over the world. Mooncakes are also used as gifts for relatives. Friends, keep in touch

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. feature.

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 various places 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 will set up tables in the yard and balconies 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 a local custom of eating taro during the Mid-Autumn Festival. There is a proverb in Chaoshan: "When the river and stream meet the mouth, the taro will be eaten." August 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 defeated, 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 through the generations 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 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 was also the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival uprising when the Han people resisted the brutal rulers in the late Yuan Dynasty and used fire as a signal.

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. "Guangxi Pulp" is named after Qu Yuan's "Songs of the Chu: Shao Siming" "Help the North be closed and drink Guangxi Pulp". Guijiang, also known as 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 they enjoy the moon with their families, "full moon" when they sit together and drink together, and "walk around the moon" when they go out to the market.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Nanjing had the Moon Tower and the Moon Bridge. In the Qing Dynasty, the Moon Tower was built under the Lion Mountain, both for people to admire the moon, and those who visited the Moon Bridge were the most popular. 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, recalling Niu Zhu 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 against the bright moon." Changbanqiao 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