Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival

One of the most important events in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the moon at its fullest and brightest – a poignant time of reunion, reflection, and gratitude. Held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, this occasion sees families gathering under the moonlit sky, to pray for fortune and happiness, and give thanks to the moon and its goddess.

 

While the festival’s beginnings remain shrouded in time, records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) show that Chinese emperors would host feasts and make offerings to deities and the moon in honour of the harvest. It was only during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), that the 15th day of the eighth month was officially marked as mid-autumn’s day.

Mid-Autumn legends

While there are many tales woven into the Mid-Autumn Festival, none are better known than that of Chang’e the moon goddess. Legend has it that she stole an elixir of immortality from her husband, before floating up to the moon, never to be seen again. Accompanying her is the virtuous Jade Rabbit, chosen by the Jade Emperor for the noble task of crafting the aforementioned elixir.

Festival Traditions

The festival is a canvas painted with traditions, old and new. In the past, rituals focused on burning incense and making offerings, but these days it’s about families coming together, heading outside and taking in the beauty of the full moon.

 

Meanwhile, lanterns, carrying whispered wishes to Chang’e, float towards the heavens while others illuminate homes, trees, and rivers, making a beautiful spectacle at night.

 

Food, as with many celebrations, plays a pivotal role. Pomelos and grapes are served alongside mooncakes – circle-shaped to signify the full moon and family reunion. They consist of an outer pastry shell, filled with sweet or savoury paste that comes in a variety of flavours. The most traditional are made with lotus seed paste with a salted egg yolk in the centre.

Across the regions

Every corner of China lends its own melody to the festival’s symphony. In the southeast, people create makeshift pagodas out of bricks, which are then stuffed with firewood and set alight. In Jiangsu, people burn incense as they bow before the moon and in Guangdong, children use bamboo paper to make rabbit lanterns.

 

At the Qiantang River in Zhejiang Province, crowds gather along the shores of Hangzhou Bay to watch the tidal bore, which reaches its peak during this time. It’s so impressive that Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo immortalised it in his 11th century poem, with the line “what on earth can hope to create a spectacular sight, like the tides on the eighteenth of August at night”.

Looking ahead

Today’s youth is reshaping the celebrations of Mid-Autumn Festival, by merging tradition with modernity. Battery-powered lanterns are replacing candle-lit paper versions. While digital gifts on platforms like WeChat are becoming the norm. Even mooncakes are not immune to change, as more luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci are presenting them in expensive designer boxes.

 

An increasing number of companies are leaning into eco-friendly packaging, and donating leftovers to charity, while individuals are upcycling old lanterns and supporting recyclable or reusable mooncake packaging.

Experience China’s rich tapestry of traditions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, when you visit our resorts across the country.