Enjoy a Different Kind of Moonlight

(Every year, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Moon Festival. It’s a time when the Chinese like to gather together with family and friends, enjoy the full moon and eat moon cake and other delicacies especially made for the occasion. There are some 40 sites nationwide, which are widely acknowledged as the best spots to appreciate the moon.)

According to China’s lunar calendar, July, August and September are the months, which make up the season of autumn. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is exactly mid autumn, and that’s how the festival derives its name.

In addition to its most common name “Mid-Autumn Festival”, it is also known as the Moon Festival. It’s on this night, that the moon is at its fullest and the moonlight at its most brilliant. People began to worship the Moon some 2,000 years ago. It was part of the ancient tradition of worshipping nature. Emperors worshiped the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The solemn ceremonies were gradually replaced by various entertainment activities as a way of celebrating the festival. The custom reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty some 1,000 years ago, and has maintained its importance up until the present day.

Of the many ancient altars, pavilions and towers used to worship the moon in China, the most famous must be the Altar of the Moon in Beijing. The Altar was first built in 1530 during the Ming Dynasty, and was used by the emperors of both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The ceremonies added an air of grandeur to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Sacrifices were made by the light of the moon and music and dancing took place to entertain the Moon God.

The royal garden is no longer a forbidden place now. On the night of the festival, many people come to the park to stroll by the twin lakes, and enjoy the moonlight and its bright reflection in the water. At the center of the pond stands a large statue of the fair lady, Chang’e, who is said to live alone on the moon, according to ancient Chinese legend. A red wall divides the park into two parts and is covered in the inscriptions of famous poems dedicated to the moon. And of course one of the most important symbols of Chinese moon worship – the altar is also found here.

From Beijing, let’s head southeastward to the famous West Lake in east China’s Zhejiang province. According to Chinese fairy tales, the West Lake was a sparkling pearl that accidentally fell to earth from heaven. It’s particularly beautiful under the light of the full moon and has become a special haunt for young lovers.

At the center of the lake, there are three vase shaped towers forming a triangle. In each of the tower walls, are five round holes. On the night of the Mid-Autumn festival, the locals place candles inside the towers. The reflections of light on the surface of the lake make it look as though there are several smaller moons surrounding the real moon. With traditional music playing in the background, the whole place takes on a magical feel.

Now, let’s go westward to the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River to enjoy the unique moonlight there. The sight of the mountain peaks that rise up in succession along the gorge can give you the impression that you’re traveling in an underground cave. Li Bai, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty once likened the reflection of the moon in the Yangtze to a magnificent mirror of the sky, and compared the reflections of the changing cloud formations to mirage towers. The serene charm of the river can best be captured by taking a boat tour along it. You can enjoy the breathtaking view of the mountains and listen to the water washing the reefs and cliffs.

Sailing upward along the Yangtze, you reach the E’mei Mountain deep in southwest China’s Sichuan province. The E’mei Mountain is one of the four most famous Buddhist Mountains in China. Towering over a sea of clouds and thick forest, its beauty and mystery attracts both pilgrims and tourists. Between the foot of E’mei and its summit there are 24 Buddhist temples. The ringing of bells can be heard from all sides of the mountain, and you could almost believe you were in the world of the immortals. Only the sounds of monkeys, the permanent residents of the Mountain, remind you that you’re still in the mortal world. It reminded me of a cartoon that many Chinese would have seen in their childhood. It’s the funny story of a band of monkeys who try their best to capture the moon in the water, not realizing that it’s only a reflection. I wonder what the monkeys on E’mei make of the moon’s reflection.

Bidding farewell to E’mei, we wind our way to Gansu province in northwest China, one of China’s Tibetan inhabited areas, to enjoy the moon over the vast grasslands. In the southern part of the province, there are several areas of grassland, which are all connected. A number of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries are dotted around this vast plain, including the famous Labrang Monastery. Their secluded location and enchanting appearance, adds mystery and attraction to the place. The surging Yellow River makes its first U-turn here, and the current turns into a gentle flow. When the full moon rises, it throws its light over the grasslands, making them appear purer and even more unworldly.

Depending on where you are in China, the moon may have a different character. The moon in Beijing is likened to a dignified emperor, while in Hangzhou, it is more like a lively young girl. In the E’mei Mountain it’s compared to a steady monk, while the one in Gansu is likened to a gentle shepherd girl.

However, moonlight alone is not enough on this special occasion. The most important aspect of the Moon Festival is the reunion with loved ones. Only when family members and friends are gathered together, is the moon festival a happy occasion. The “Festival of Reunion” is the other name given to the mid autumn festival. For many Chinese, coming together to celebrate with friends and relatives is a very special time for them. For those who can’t gather together, a prayer is offered to the moon for the happiness of their loved ones far away.