中秋节快乐

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

静夜思 李白

床前明月光Chuang qian ming yue guang

疑是地上霜Yi shi di shang shuang

举头望明月Ju tou wang ming yue

低头思故乡Di tou si gu xiang

Zhong

Qiu

Jie

Kuai

Le

嫦娥奔月 The goddess Chang Er fly to the moon

The Story-English Version Legend says that there were once ten suns in the sky, which made plants wither, water in rivers and lakes run dry. It’s too hot to live on the sun.　　 Houyi, a young man who was good at archery was sympathetic with people’s torture so he decided to save them. He took out his bow, ascended up to the peak of the Kunlun Mountain and shot down nine of the ten suns one by one, and he might have shot the last one if it was not called off by others. Thus the severe drought was gone.　　 Houyi thus was respected and honored by people as a hero. Young men who were fond of archery flocked to him to learn shooting. Houyi later married a pretty lady called Chang’er and lived a happy life with her.

　　 One day on his way to a friend’ home in the Kunlun Mountain, Houyi came across the Heavenly Empress. Houyi was enamored of the happy life with his wife and wanted to be with her forever so he asked the Heavely Empress to give him some elixir. The elixir was strictly controlled off normal people. The Heavely Empress, however, moved by Houyi’s contribution and affection to love and gave him one. The drug was said very powerful and people who took it can fly to the heaven and became a immortal immediately. However, the content was only enough for one person and Houyi was reluctant to leave his beloved wife alone on the earth so he gave the elixir to Chang’er to preserve and wanted to seek another one for his wife. Chang’er carefully stored it in a wooden box while her action was peeked by the evil Fengmeng-one of his husband’s adherents.　　　 Three days afterward, Houyi lead his disciples to go out for hunting but Fengmeng who wanted to steal the elixir while Houyi was way, stayed at home deliberately. No sooner as Houyi left his house, Fengmeng knocked into the courtyard where Chang’er was working. He wielded his glitter sword and threatened Chang’er to give him the elixir.　　 Chang’e had no better idea than swallowed the elixir herself. As soon as she took it, chang’er flew from her house toward the heave and finally landed on the moon.　　 Houyi was told what was happening in the evening when he returned home from bumper hunting. He was astonished, anguished and then very anger so he decided to kill the evil man. But Fengmeng had fled away. Chang’er was transferred to the moon and has lived there since ever.　　Chang'e decides to live on the moon because it is nearest to the earth. There she lives a simple and contented life. Even though she is in Heaven, her heart remains in the world of mortals. Never does she forget the deep love she has for Hou Yi.　　

The Story-Chinese Version 　　相传，远古时候有一年，天上出现了十个太阳，直烤得大地冒烟，海水枯干，老百姓眼看无法再生活去。　　　　这件事惊动了一个名叫后羿的英雄，他登上昆仑山顶，运足神力，拉开神弓，一气射下九个多余的太阳。

　　后羿立下盖世神功，受到百姓，的尊敬和爱戴，不少志士慕名前来投师学艺。　　　不久，后羿娶了个美丽善良的 妻子，名叫嫦娥。后羿除传艺狩猎外，终日和妻子在一起，人们都羡慕这对郎才女貌的恩爱夫妻。　　　一天，后羿到昆仑山访友求道，巧遇由此经过的王母娘娘，后羿因与嫦娥恩爱，想与她永远在一起，便向王母求一包不死药。但因此要凡间控制得严，王母被后羿的贡献和精神打动，就给了他医保，但是神药只够一个人吃据说，服下此药，能即刻升天成仙。然而药只够一个人吃，后羿舍不得撇下妻子，只好暂时把不死药交给嫦娥珍藏。嫦娥将药藏进梳妆台的百宝匣里，不料被蓬蒙看到了。　　　 三天后，后羿率众徒外出狩猎，心怀鬼胎的蓬蒙假装生病，留了下来。待后羿率众人走后不久，蓬蒙手持宝剑闯入内宅后院，威逼嫦娥交出不死药。嫦娥知道自己不是蓬蒙的对手，只得拿出不死药一口吞了下去。嫦娥吞下药，身子立时飘离地面、冲出窗口，向天上飞去。　　 傍晚，后羿回到家，侍女们哭诉了白天发生的事。后羿既惊又怒，抽剑去杀恶徒，蓬蒙早逃走了。嫦娥从此就在月亮上住了下来。　　嫦娥决定在月亮上住下来，因为月亮离地球最近。她在月宫里过着简单的生活。尽管她上了天宫，她的心还是在凡间。嫦娥从未忘记与后羿之间的爱。　　百姓们闻知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息后，纷纷在月下摆设香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。从此，中秋节 拜月的风俗在民间传开了。

What and When is Mid-Autumn Festival?

What do we do during this festival?

OVERVIEW OF MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

HISTORY OF MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL• 1st celebrated by high-rankings officials during the Sung dynasty in China (860-1126 A.D)

who presented gifts of mirrors (representing the moon) to each other.

• Later on, ordinary people also followed suit, by feasting and rejoicing heartily over their harvests during Yuan(Mongol)dynasty (1206-1341 A.D)(mooncake originated for peculiar circumstances).

• Mongols ruled china with an iron hand and were hated by the Chinese, who plotted to overthrow the oppressors. Their general ordered that messages giving the exact day and time for an uprising to be inserted into mooncakes and distributed to all people. Chinese(Ming dynasty) successfully thrown the Mongols.

• Mainly Chinese emigrants to South Seas during the Ching dynasty(Manchus)carried this traditions.

How Mid-Autumn Festival relate to Buddhism Belief: If one looks carefully at the moon on a full-moon night, one can make out the shadow of a rabbit on its surface.Legend: One day the Buddha assumed the form of a hungry old man & asked three animals he met for food. The fox gave him a carp, the monkey gave him fresh fruits, but the poor rabbit had nothing to offer. So he jumped into the fire and had himself roasted as an offering to the old man. The Buddha was tremendously moved by the self-sacrifice of the rabbit, revived him and sent him to the moon where he remained to be worshipped by the people.

Mooncake- Shaped like the surface of the moon- As gifts to relatives and friends on this occasion - Round shape-reminder of success and unity of the people during the overthrow of the Mongols

Lantern -variety types: - Basic paper lanterns - cellophane lantern - soft ‘inflatable’ lantern -hard plastic lantern -battery-powered paper lantern

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

LANTERN

中秋节 -灯笼

Basic Paper Lantern Cellophane Paper Lantern

Soft ‘ Inflatable’ Lantern

Hard Plastic LanternBattery-Powered Paper Lantern

DIY MAKING TRADITIONAL CELLOPHANE PAPER

LANTERNSESSION

ENJOY THE REFRESHMENT!!!!!

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