![]() The reason why mooncakes are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival is because of the story of Zhu Yuanzhang’s rebellion. This is why, during the nights when the skies are clear, the shadow of the Cherry Bay Tree can be seen on the moon. The emperor then informed Wugang that he could become immortal once the tree fell.īecause of this, Wugang decided to work hard and is still persevering in his efforts to this day. Dissatisfied with this attitude, the Emperor of Heaven became angry and decided to punish Wugang by planting an impossibly huge cherry bay tree on the moon for the latter to cut down. Despite his ambitions, however, Wugang was lazy and never wanted to work hard. Wugang was once an ordinary man who wanted to become immortal. Since then, the jade rabbit became Chang’e’s constant companion, helping to make medicine for the immortals in heaven. Moved by the act, the emperor picked up the rabbit’s bones and sent them to the moon, giving life to what is now the immortal jade rabbit. Since it did not have any food, the rabbit decided to instead offer itself and jumped into a fire. The rabbit, however, came back empty-handed and felt very sorry towards the emperor. ![]() The fox returned with a fish it caught from a river while the monkey offered some fruits it had gathered in the forest. The animals then heeded the emperor’s request and went their separate ways. Seeing these creatures, the Emperor of Heaven decided to test their virtue by approaching them and asking for food. Once upon a time, there were once three animals who lived in a forest: the fox, the monkey, and the rabbit. This practice eventually evolved into the traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival today. ![]() In devotion to his wife, Houyi prepared a table full of Chang’e’s favorite food during the days of the full moon. In a moment of desperation, Chang’e swallowed the elixir and turned into a goddess.ĭespite her new status, Chang’e missed her husband and decided to live as close to him as possible by settling on the moon, where the heavens is nearest to the earth. At the time, Houyi had gone out to hunt, leaving Chang’e defenseless. Shortly after Houyi took the elixir home to Chang’e for safekeeping, a bandit named Pengmeng broke into their home and demanded to have it. One day, however, the Empress of Heaven offered Houyi an elixir of immortality which would allow him to ascend to the heavens as a god. Later on, he married a beautiful and kind lady named Chang’e to live the rest of his days with. During the ancient times, a hero named Houyi made a name for himself after shooting nine out of ten suns down with his strength. Known to be the most popular legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival, this story details the lives of two lovers who have been tragically forced apart. Here are four popular stories related to the Mid-Autumn Festival that are still shared today:ġ. This year, that day falls on September 10th.īut beyond the competitive prize-winning fun that we all enjoy during this special day, do you know why the Chinese worldwide actually celebrate the middle of the autumn season? With over 3000 years of history, the origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival have been passed down through the generations in multiple legends. Have you prepared your mooncakes and dice game prizes yet?Ĭonsidered to be one of China’s most important holidays, the highly anticipated Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) is rapidly approaching, with the event being annually celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month - the time in which the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest.
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