The legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival——xiaoyou

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. This is always regarded as the most humane and poetic festival. It is said that during the festive season, we miss our loved ones even more. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, this longing will certainly be deeper, especially when the bright moon hangs high in the sky.

The reason why the Mid-Autumn Festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival is because the 15th day of the eighth lunar month falls in the Three Autumn System. On this day, the full moon in the sky is extraordinarily bright, big, and round, so this day is also regarded as a good day for marriage.

Speaking of the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many different legends and myths circulating among the people. Among them are stories such as Chang Moth flying to the moon, Zhu Yuanzhang's moon cake uprising, and Tang Minghuang's visit to the Moon Palace.

The most familiar story is of course Chang'e's flight to the moon. There are many versions of the story of Chang'e stealing her husband Hou Yi's elixir of immortality and flying to the moon palace. In earlier records, Chang'e secretly ate the fairy medicine and turned into a toad, called the Moon Spirit.

After flying to the moon, the moon palace where Chang'e lived was actually a lonely place, with nothing but a laurel tree and a rabbit. But there is another theory that there is a man named Wu Gang in the Moon Palace.

Legend 1

According to legend, one year in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky. They were so scorching that the earth smoked and the sea water dried up. It was almost impossible for the people to live anymore. This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the top of the Kunlun Mountains, used his supernatural power, drew his magic bow, and shot down nine superfluous suns in one go. Hou Yi accomplished extraordinary feats and was respected and loved by the people. Many people with lofty ideals came here to learn from him. The treacherous and evil-minded Peng Meng also sneaked in. Soon, 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. 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 packet 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, but Pengmeng looked at it. Three days later, Hou Yi led his disciples out for hunting. Peng Meng, who had ulterior motives, 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 them what happened during the day. Hou Yi was frightened and angry. He drew his sword and went to kill the villain, but Peng Meng had already escaped. Hou Yi was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet and screamed. The grief-stricken Hou Yi looked up at the night sky and called his beloved wife's name. At this time, he was surprised to find that today's moon was particularly bright and bright, and there was a swaying figure that looked like Chang'e. Hou Yi hurriedly sent people to Chang'e's favorite back garden, set up an incense table, put her favorite sweetmeats and fresh fruits, and offered sacrifices to Chang'e who was nostalgic for him in the moon palace. 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. From then on, the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

Legend 2

The Mid-Autumn Festival was originally a harvest festival. In China's agricultural society, farmers always celebrate big events during the harvest season. The reason why this festival has become a festival is also related to the beautiful myth of "Chang'e flying to the moon".

Legend has it that in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky. They appeared in turn to illuminate and bring warmth to the earth. But one day, the ten suns appeared together and all the crops on the earth were scorched. . At this time, a sharpshooter named Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, eliminating disasters for all people. The people then made him king. After Hou Yi became emperor, he indulged in drinking and sex, killed people at will, and became a tyrant. He wanted to live forever, so he went to Kunlun Mountain to steal the elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother. His wife Chang'e was afraid that he would live forever and the people would suffer, so she stole the elixir and ate it, so she flew lightly to the Moon Palace. Later, ordinary women worshiped the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival and offered sacrifices to Chang'e in the moon palace.

The traditional food of the Mid-Autumn Festival is moon cakes. Moon cakes are round, symbolizing reunion and reflecting people's good wishes for family reunion. Eating mooncakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have begun in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang led the Han people to resist the tyranny of the Yuan Dynasty and agreed to revolt on August 15th. They would send mooncakes to each other by sandwiching notes in the mooncakes to convey messages. The custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people.

Later, Zhu Yuanzhang finally overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and became the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Although the Manchus later occupied China, people still celebrated this festival that symbolized the overthrow of alien rule.

Legend 3

Tang Minghuang visited the Moon Palace. It is said that Tang Minghuang, the emperor, was very obsessed with Chang'e. One day he went to the Moon Palace and saw a jade rabbit and a group of fairies who were good at singing and dancing.

Zhu Yuanzhang successfully overthrew the Mongols and established the Ming Dynasty. According to folk legend, he relied on moon cakes as a communication tool. Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead in seeking justice and stuffed notes into the stuffing of mooncakes, calling on everyone to revolt on time.

One of the theories about 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.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to offering sacrifices, there are also moon cakes and lanterns for the festival. Of course, the person worshiped is Chang'e in the sky, and some people call her the Moon Mother. The old man said that children should not point at the moon with their fingers, otherwise their ears will be cut off.

To this day, not many people know the original meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival. For the new generation, the most memorable Mid-Autumn Festival is the mooncakes and lanterns. Of course, a festival with a full moon in the sky is a great day for people to reunite.

The origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in my country. According to historical records, the term "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 "Zhongqiu". The fifteenth day of August is in the middle of "Zhongqiu", 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. 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 and rabbit are pressed on the outside. After worshiping the moon, the elders in the family will cut the cake into pieces according to the number of people, and leave one piece for each person if someone is not at home, which means family reunion.

There are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and clear. In addition to holding a series of activities such as moon appreciation, moon worship, and eating moon cakes to pray for reunion, some places also have grass dragon dancing, pagoda building and other activities. In addition to moon cakes, various seasonal fresh fruits are also held. Dried fruits are also a delicacy on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

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 the Mid-Autumn Festival may be the day when the rice is ripe.

Ancient Mid-Autumn Festival customs

According to the records in Volume 8 of "Tokyo Menghua Lu" (prefaced in 1147), the streets of the Song Dynasty were held before the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the past few days, there has been a strong festive atmosphere. Shops sell new wines and decorate the colorful houses in front of their doors. People in the city compete for new wines such as pomegranates, pears, chestnuts, grapes, and colorful tangerines. Climbing up to the restaurant to admire the moon, playing silk, bamboo, flute and pipe. Children in the alleys played all night long, and the night market was full of people until dawn.

Volume 4 of "Meng Liang Lu" by Wu Zimu (who lived around 1270) also records that families in the Southern Song Dynasty often arranged family banquets and reunited their children on this day to celebrate the festival. Even poor families in the back alleys will pawn their clothes to buy wine to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Volume 4 of Jin Yingzhi's "New Drunkard's Talks" (lived around 1126) records the custom of people at that time moving from admiring the moon to worshiping the moon: "The moon-appreciating meeting in the capital, Different from other counties, the people in Qingcheng are not considered rich or poor, and those who are able to travel by themselves are all dressed in adult attire. They go up to the tower or burn incense in the courtyard to worship the moon. The men are willing to go to the Toad Palace early and climb high. Fairy osmanthus... Women wish to look like Chang'e and be as round as the moon."

In addition to worshiping the moon, there is also the custom of admiring lanterns. The third volume of "Old Martial Arts" written by Zhou Mi (1232-1308) records the Mid-Autumn Festival night in Hangzhou: "The lights and candles are brilliant, and they stop at dusk." Zhejiang also puts out a small sheepskin water lantern called "a little red" on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The river surface is covered with hundreds of thousands of lanterns, like stars in the sky, which is very eye-catching. It is said that the krathong is to please the River God, not just for viewing.

Song Dynasty

In the Song Dynasty, there was another special Mid-Autumn Festival scene in Hangzhou, namely tide watching in Qiantang. Because the topography of the Qiantang River Estuary is similar to a funnel, whenever a sea tide arrives, affected by the gradually narrowing topography, the waves overlap and pile up to form a wall of water, which is extremely spectacular. When Su Dongpo was in Youfu in Hangzhou, he once wrote a poem "Watching the Tide on Mid-Autumn Night", describing the large number of people watching the tide and the turbulent momentum of the tide:

We must know that the Jade Rabbit is very round, and it has caught the frost wind September is cold.

The important message is that the door should not be locked, and the night tide is left to look at the middle of the moon.

The noise of thousands of people scares me, just like an old boy floating on the river.

If you want to know how high the tide is, the mountains are covered in waves.

Another passage in "Old Martial Arts" more specifically describes the majestic momentum of the tide that shakes the world: "Fang Qiyuan went out of the sea gate, just like a silver line, and then gradually approached, the Yucheng Snow Ridge, the edge It comes from the sky. It is as loud as thunder, shocking and surging, swallowing the sky and the sun, and it is extremely majestic." To this day, Qiantang tide watching is still the most unique tourist base during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Zhejiang Province.

Yuan Dynasty

Although the Yuan Dynasty was dominated by foreign races in the Central Plains, they were deeply Hanized. Most of the festival customs follow the old Han system. By the Ming Dynasty, the customs of appreciating the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon, and eating moon cakes became popular.

Tian Rucheng (living around 1540)'s "West Lake Tour Chronicles" and "Xi Dynasty Pleasures" record that many people in the Ming Dynasty gave mooncakes as gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival, taking the round shape of "reunion" as a gift. righteous. In the evening, there will be a moon-viewing banquet, or you can take wine and food to the banks of the lake and sea to enjoy it. The second volume of "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" (1635) co-authored by Liu Tong and Yu Yizheng describes in detail the offerings to the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival: moon cakes must be round, and the fruits must be cut into pieces like lotus flowers. of tooth flaps. Moonlight paper is sold in the market, with a picture of the Bodhisattva with the moon shining on it on the top, and a picture of the Laurel Palace on the bottom, with a rabbit standing and pounding medicine in it. After worshiping the moon, the moonlight paper is burned, and the fruit cakes are distributed to each member of the family. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also the Festival of Reunion, so even if there are women who are returning to Ning, they must return to their husbands' homes on this day to reunite.

Ming Dynasty

As for the grand gathering of people in the Ming Dynasty admiring the moon, Zhang Dai (1597-1671?) wrote the following for us with his wonderful pen. This is an extremely elegant description. "Mid-Autumn Night in Huqiu" in Volume 5 of "Tao'an Dream Memories":

In the middle of August in Huqiu, there are natives, exiles, scholars, family members, female musicians, singers, famous prostitutes in music, Opera women, folk young women, good girls, bastards, prostitutes, and wandering and evil young men, purgers, helpers, children, and idle people all gathered together. At Zisheng Gongtai, Qianrenshi, Hejian, Jianchi, Shenwending Temple, and down to the first and second mountain gates of Sword Testing Stone, they all sit on felt mats on the ground and look at them from a high place, like wild geese falling on the flat sand, on the Xiajiang River. In the dark sky, on the moon, there are hundreds of propaganda, big trumpeting, fishing sun in the Laos, the earth is shaking, the thunder is roaring, the cauldron is boiling, the call is not heard. At the end of the day, the drums and cymbals gradually stopped, and the silk pipes flourished, mixed with singing. They all performed the same song, "The sails of the brocade sail across the vast lake." The sounds of squatting and trampling, gongs, silk, bamboo and meat were indistinguishable. Deeper, the people gradually dispersed, the scholars and their families all got off the boat to play in the water, and sang at the banquet. Everyone performed their skills from the north and the south, and the orchestras played in succession, and the listeners could distinguish the words and follow the instructions. The two drums are quiet, and the orchestral strings are listening to the screen. There is a faint wisp in the hole, and the sadness is clear and lingering, and the eyes are drawn to the flesh. There are still three or four, which are replaced repeatedly. Three drums, the moon is lonely and solemn, and there are no mosquitoes or flies. A man appears on the stage, sitting high on a stone, neither playing the flute nor clapping. His voice is like silk, splitting the stone and piercing the clouds, and stringing the strings together. Every word is heard, and the listener feels the mustard in his heart. His hard work is dry, he dare not play the knot, and can only nod his head. However, there are still hundreds of people sitting there at this time. If the envoy is not Suzhou, how can I ask for knowledge?

We may be able to get a glimpse of the life interests of the literati in the late Ming Dynasty from this "Mid-Autumn Night at the Tiger Mansion".

Qing Dynasty

The "moonlight paper" used by Ming people to worship the moon was renamed "moonlight horse" in the Qing Dynasty. Fucha Dunchong's "Yanjing Chronicles" (1906). Record: "The moonlight horse is made of paper, with the lunar star king like a Bodhisattva on the top, and the moon palace and the rabbit pounding medicine on the bottom. The figure is standing and holding a pestle. The algae color is exquisite and magnificent. It is sold in many shops. The longer one is seven or eight feet, the shorter one is two or three feet. There are two flags on the top, made of red and green, or yellow, and they are burned with incense and offered to the moon. After the sacrifice, they are burned together with thousands of pieces of gold and ingots."

There is another popular saying in the Qing Dynasty: "If men do not worship the moon, women will not wander around." Therefore, worshiping the moon has become a women's patent. The housewives at home are busy worshiping the moon, and the children have nothing to do. A few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a kind of "Rabbit Baby" specially made for children's monthly use will be sold in the market. The origin of Lord Rabbit dates back to the late Ming Dynasty. Ji Kun of the Ming Dynasty (lived around 1636) wrote in "The Remaining Manuscript of Kao Pavilion": "On the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing, people often use mud to shape rabbits. They sit in human-like clothes and hats, and their children worship them." By the Qing Dynasty, the function of Lord Rabbit had changed from offering sacrifices to the moon to being a Mid-Autumn Festival toy for children. The production is also becoming more and more sophisticated. Some are dressed as military commanders wearing armor and robes, some have paper flags or umbrellas on their backs, and some are sitting or standing. Sitting there are unicorns, tigers, leopards and so on. There are also vendors dressed as rabbit-headed people, or masters of barbering, or sewing shoes, selling wontons, tea soup, and so on.

Mooncakes on August 15th

According to legend, in ancient my country, emperors had a ritual system of worshiping the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. Among the people, during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, there is also the custom of worshiping or offering sacrifices to the moon. "The moon is full on August and fifteenth, and the Mid-Autumn moon cakes are fragrant and sweet." This famous proverb describes the custom of urban and rural people eating moon cakes on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes were originally used as sacrifices to worship the moon god. Later, people gradually took the Mid-Autumn moon appreciation and tasting mooncakes as a symbol of family reunion, and gradually mooncakes became festival gifts.

Moon cakes originally originated as a food for the Tang Dynasty army to celebrate victory. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, General Li Jing conquered the Huns and returned in triumph on August 15th.

At that time, some people from Turpan who were doing business presented cakes to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty to celebrate his victory. The great ancestor Li Yuan took the gorgeous cake box, took out the round cake, pointed at the bright moon in the sky with a smile and said: "You should invite the toad with the Hu cake." After speaking, he distributed the cake to the ministers to eat together.

The word "moon cake" already exists in Wu Zimu's "Meng Liang Lu" of the Southern Song Dynasty, but the description of tasting the moon and eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival was only recorded in the "West Lake Tour Zhihui" of the Ming Dynasty: "The 15th day of August is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send moon cakes to each other to symbolize reunion." By the Qing Dynasty, there were more records about mooncakes, and their production became more and more sophisticated.

Mooncakes have developed to this day, with more varieties and different flavors depending on the place. Among them, Beijing-style, Soviet-style, Cantonese-style, Chaozhou-style mooncakes are widely eaten by people from all over the north and south of my country.

Moon cakes symbolize reunion and are a must-eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival. On festival nights, people also like to eat watermelons, fruits and other fruits that bring reunion, and wish their families a happy, sweet and safe life.

Eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional folk custom in my country, just like eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival and glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival. Throughout the ages, people have regarded mooncakes as a symbol of good luck and reunion. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, when the bright moon is in the sky, families gather together, enjoy cakes, admire the moon, chat and enjoy family happiness.

Moon cakes, also known as Hu cakes, palace cakes, small cakes, moon dumplings, reunion cakes, etc., are offerings to worship the moon god during the Mid-Autumn Festival in ancient times. Passed down, the custom of eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival has been formed.

Mooncakes have a long history in our country. According to historical records, as early as the Yin and Zhou dynasties, there was a kind of "Taishi cake" with thin edges and thick heart in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas to commemorate Taishi Wenzhong. This is the "ancestor" of Chinese mooncakes. When Zhang Qian of the Han Dynasty was on his mission to the Western Regions, he introduced sesame seeds and walnuts to add auxiliary ingredients to the production of moon cakes. At this time, round cakes filled with walnut kernels appeared, called "Hu cakes".

In the Tang Dynasty, there were already private bakers engaged in production, and bakery shops began to appear in Chang'an, the capital. It is said that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival one year, when Emperor Taizong and Concubine Yang were enjoying the moon and eating Hu cakes, Emperor Taizong thought the name "Hu cakes" was not nice. Concubine Yang looked up at the bright moon, her heart was surging, and casually said "Moon cakes". The name "Mooncake" gradually spread among the people.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the royal family of the Northern Song Dynasty liked to eat a kind of "palace cake", which is commonly known as "small cake" and "moon cake" among the people. Su Dongpo has a poem that goes: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispness and joy in them.

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Zhou Mi, a writer in the Song Dynasty, mentioned the name "mooncakes" for the first time in "Old Wulin Stories", which described what he saw in Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival became a custom. It gradually spread among the people. At that time, the ingenious bakers printed the mythical story of Chang'e flying to the moon as a food art pattern, making mooncakes a must-have food during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Ming Dynasty. Tian Rucheng's "West Lake Tour Notes" said: "The 15th day of August is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send mooncakes to each other to symbolize reunion. "In the Qing Dynasty, the craftsmanship of mooncakes has been greatly improved, and the varieties have continued to increase. Mooncakes for the moon can be found everywhere. Yuan Jinglan, a poet of the Qing Dynasty, has a long "Poetry in Ode to Mooncakes", which includes "Entering the kitchen, the light captures the frost; Steam kettle gas flow liquid. Knead the dough finely and add traces of rouge. Relatives and relatives give gifts to each other, and there is no room for neglect... Children sit together for reunion, cups and plates are scattered in a mess" and other sentences, from the making of moon cakes, giving moon cakes to each other among relatives and friends, to setting up family banquets and admiring the moon, the description is exhaustive.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon is bright and clear. The ancients regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion. Therefore, August 15th is also called the "Reunion Festival." ", wanderers living in foreign lands use the moon to express their deep feelings. Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, "raises his head to look at the bright moon, lowers his head to miss his hometown", Du Fu's "The dew is white tonight, the moon is the brightness of my hometown", and Wang Anshi's "spring breeze" of the Song Dynasty "The south bank of the green river, when will the bright moon shine on me again" and other poems are all eternal songs.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival, and worshiping the moon and appreciating the moon are important customs of the festival. Ancient emperors worshiped the sun in spring. In the social system of worshiping the moon in autumn, people also have the custom of worshiping the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Later, admiring the moon became more important than worshiping the moon, and the serious worship turned into a relaxed and joyful custom. There are poems chanting the moon in the poems. In the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, the activities of worshiping and admiring the moon among the people were more extensive. There are many "Moon Worshiping Altar", "Moon Worshiping Pavilion" and "Moon Watching Tower" remaining in various parts of our country. A historic site.

The "Altar of the Moon" in Beijing was built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty for the royal family to worship the moon. Whenever the moon rises during the Mid-Autumn Festival, a table is set up in the open air and moon cakes, pomegranates, dates and other fruits are served on the table. On the table, after worshiping the moon, the whole family sat around the table, chatted and enjoyed the moon. Now, the activities of worshiping and worshiping the moon have been replaced by grand and colorful mass moon-viewing recreational activities. p>

Eating moon cakes is another custom of the festival. Moon cakes symbolize reunion. Since the Tang Dynasty, the production of moon cakes has become more and more sophisticated. Su Dongpo wrote in a poem: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispy and sweet fillings." In the Qing Dynasty, Yang Guangfu wrote: "The mooncakes are stuffed with peach meat fillings, and the ice cream is sweet with cane sugar frosting." It seems that the mooncakes at that time are quite similar to those now.