the stories of the chinese mid autumn festival

7/28/2019 The Stories of the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival

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The Stories of the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival

I. The Lady - Chang Er

The time of this story is around 2170 B.C. The earth once had ten suns circling over it, each took its turn toilluminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by astrong and tyrannical archer Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from agoddess. However his beautiful wife Chang Er drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule.

After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he didn't shootdown the moon.

Note:Chang'e 1 Lunar orbiterwas launched to the moon on October 24, 2007. The Chang'e moon satellite, named after Chang Er,will take 3-D images of the moon surface for yearlong. This is the groundwork for the next Lunar Lander (Chang'e 2) project in2012 , Lunar Sample Return (Chang'e 3) in 2017 and Chinese astronaut on the moon project.

Update: The Chinese moon probe, called Chang'e 2, launched on October 1, 2010 to commemorate the 61st China NationalIndependent Day. Chang'e 3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon in 2013.

II. The Man - Wu Kang

Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wantedto be an immortal. Wu Kang then went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortaltaught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and he asked theimmortal to teach him something else. So the immortal to teach him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm againwaned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, andasked if they could travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the master banished Wu Kang tothe Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang choppedday and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.

III. The Hare - Jade Rabbit

In this legend, three fairy sages transformed themselves into pitiful old men and begged for something to eatfrom a fox, a monkey and a rabbit. The fox and the monkey both had food to give to the old men, but the rabbit, empty-handed,offered his own flesh instead, jumping into a blazing fire to cook himself. The sages were so touched by the rabbit's sacrifice that

they let him live in the Moon Palace where he became the "Jade Rabbit."

IV. The Cake - Moon Cake
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During the Yuan dynasty (A.D.1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from thepreceding Sung dynasty (A.D.960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion withoutit being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of specialcakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebelssuccessfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644).Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend.

ByChinese Fortune-Telling Calendar

Chang er

A long, long time ago, a terrible drought plagued the earth. Ten suns burned fiercely in the sky like smoldering volcanoes. The trees andgrass were scorched. The land was cracked and parched, and rivers were dried. Many people died of hunger and thirst.

The King of Heaven sent Hou Yi down to the earth to help. When Hou Yi arrived, he took out his red bow and white arrows and shot downnine suns one after another. The weather immediately turned cooler. Heavy rains filled the rivers with fresh water and the grass and treesturned green. Life was restored and humanity was saved.

One day, a charming young woman Chang'er made her way home from a stream, holding a bamboo container. A young man came forward,asking for a drink. When she saw the red bow and white arrows hanging round his belt, Chang'er realized that he was their savior, Hou Yi.Inviting him to drink, Chang'er plucked a beautiful flower and gave it to him as a token of respect. Hou Yi, in turn, selected a beautiful silverfox fur as his gift for her. This meeting kindled the spark of their love. And soon after that, they got married.

A mortal's life is limited, of course. So in order to enjoy his happy life with Chang'er forever, Hou Yi decided to look for an elixir of life. Hewent to the Kunlun Mountains where the Western Queen Mother lived.

Out of respect for the good deeds he had done, the Western Queen Mother rewarded Hou Yi with the elixir, a fine powder made from kernelsof fruit which grew on the tree of eternity. At the same time, she told him that if he and his wife shared the elixir, they would both enjoy eternallife; but if only one of them took it, that one would ascend to Heaven and become immortal.

Hou Yi returned home and told his wife all that had happened and they decided to drink the elixir together on the 15th day of the eighth lunarmonth when the moon was full and bright.

A wicked and merciless man named Feng Meng overheard their plan. He wished Hou Yi an early death so that he could drink the elixirhimself and become immortal. His opportunity finally arrived. One day, when the full moon is rising, Hou Yi was on his way home fromhunting. Feng Meng killed him. The murderer then ran to Hou Yi's home and forced Chang'er to give him the elixir. Without hesitating,Chang'er picked up the elixir and drunk it all.

Overcome with grief, Chang'er rushed to her dead husband's side, weeping bitterly. Soon the elixir began to have its effect and Chang'er feltherself being lifted towards Heaven.

Chang'er decided to live on the moon because it was the nearest to the earth. There she lived a simple and contented life. Even though shewas in Heaven, her heart remained in the world of mortals. Never did she forget the deep love she had for Hou Yi and the love she felt for thepeople who had shared their sadness and happiness.

It is said that Chang'er transformed herself into brilliant moonlight and descended to earth to offer good fortune. Thus, couples swear theirmutual love under the full moon while separated lovers pray for reunion under the full moon.

Another legend explained the role of the Old Man on the Moon, the Divine Match-maker. The Chinese believed that marriages were made inHeaven but prepared on the moon. The Old Man on the Moon tied the feet of young men and women with red cords for marriages. Thus amaiden made offerings and prayed to him during the Mid-Autumn Festival, hoping that some day she would ride in the red bridal sedan chair.

The Legend of moon cakes

According to legend, in ancient China, emperors have memorial day in spring, autumn festival on the ritual. In the

civil society, during Mid-Autumn Festival, but also about worship festival on month or custom. "August Mochitsuki
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children round, fragrant and sweet moon cakes," and this proverb tells the name of urban and rural people in the Mid-

Autumn Night custom of eating moon cakes. Mooncake Festival was originally used instructions from Luna's offerings,

then people gradually to the Mid-Autumn moon and tasting moon cakes, as a symbol of family reunion, slowly moon

cakes have become a holiday gift.

Moon cakes, initially originated in the Tang troops celebrate a victory of food. Emperor Tang Gaozu years, the great

general Li Jing's campaign against the Huns victorious, triumphant return August 15.

At that time it was doing business in Turpan to the Tang Dynasty Emperor Hsien-cake celebrate a victory. Zu-Li

Yuan took gorgeous cake box, took out a round cake, laughing refers to the air the moon said: "The cake should be

invited Hu toad." Having to eat cake and give it courtiers.

Since the Southern Song Wu, animal husbandry, "Dream Liang Lu" a book, already has a "moon cakes" word, but

the Mid-Autumn Festival to try on, eating moon cakes, a description of the Ming Dynasty's "West Lake will" only reads:

"August 15 that the The Mid-Autumn Festival, moon cakes phase of civil society in left, take the meaning of reunion. "

To the Qing Dynasty, on the moon records would increase, and also making more and more sophisticated.

Moon cakes to today, a greater variety, and tastes vary from place to place. One Beijing-style, Soviet-style,

Cantonese-style, Chaozhou style moon cakes and other widely throughout the north and south of our country by

people like eating.

Moon symbolizes reunion, the Mid-Autumn Festival will eat the product. During festivals, night, people also eat morewatermelon, fruit reunion fruit, bless his family to live a happy, sweet, peace. Moon symbolizes reunion, the Mid-

Autumn Festival will eat the product. During festivals, night, people also eat more watermelon, fruit reunion fruit, bless

his family to live a happy, sweet, peace.

Lunar calendar August 15 is China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival is also the second largest in China after the

Chinese New Year traditional festivals. August 15 exactly in the middle of autumn, so that the Mid-Autumn Festival. In

the fall of China's ancient calendar to the middle of August, the title, "Mid-autumn", so Mid-Autumn Festival also

known as "Mid-autumn Day."

Mid-Autumn Festival night, moonlight bringing a the ancients the moon as a symbol of reunion, therefore, August

15, also known as "Reunion." Since ancient times, people often use "full moon, month absence" to describe the "joys

and sorrows," guest in foreign land pioneers, but also is passionate sustenance months. Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's "I

raise my eyes to the moon, bow their heads and think of home," Du Fu's "Tonight dew from the white, month is no

place like home," Song Wang An-shih's "spring to green river south, the moon when the photo I also" a poem, etc.are eternal never occur again.

Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival, festival on the full moon is an important holiday customs. The ancient

emperors have spring memorial day autumn festival on the social system of private houses also have the Mid-

Autumn Festival on the wind, to the later emphasis on the full moon festival month, serious joyous worship became

easy. The custom of Mid-Autumn Festival moon apogee in the Tang Dynasty, many of the poet's famous poem in

both Wing On the Song and Ming dynasties, the Qing court and the private sector a larger scale, thanks to the

activities on the full moon. Across the country still remains a lot of "worship on the altar", "worship the Moon," "full

moon floor," a monument.

Beijing's "On the altar" is the next Jiajing built for the Royal Festival of the month. Whenever the Mid-Autumn

Festival moon rises, in the case of an open-air set up, the moon, pomegranates, dates and other fruits on the desk

case for the last, thanks to months later, the family sat around the table, tells us, Gong Shang moon. Now the festivalhas been on the activities of worship on a grand scale, colorful mass replaced by the full moon in recreational

activities.

Another festival to eat moon cakes are custom cakes symbolize reunion. After the production of moon cakes from

the Tang Dynasty more and more elegant. Su wrote a poem: "cookies, such as chewing months, there are crisp and

jelly," Fu-Qing Yang wrote: "eat moon cakes loaded peach meat, ice cream, cream sugar sweet puzzle." It seems

then cakes and now have been quite similar to the.

Practices throughout the Mid-Autumn Festival


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Mid-Autumn Festival, it is the most important activities of the full moon and eat moon cakes.

the stories of the chinese mid autumn festival

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