The story about Chang'E and Hou Yi and the culture of Mid Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival 

In Chinese culture, the full moon is a symbol of family reunions. The moon is believed to be the brightest and most beautiful on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, sentimentally. Chinese people traditionally set up a table outside their houses and gather to admire the full moon while snacking on delicious mooncakes. Parents of young children frequently recount the legend of Chang'e Flying to the Moon. As a game, children attempt to find the shape of Chang'e on the moon.

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Chang’E intended to fly to the moon, the closest point in heaven to the earth, despite her reluctance to leave her husband.

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Houyi missed Chang E a lot, and therefore he made a lot of dishes that Chang'E enjoyed on the day of the full moon.

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This habit was then adopted by folk people who prayed to the Goddess Chang E for good fortune, resulting in the establishment of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

M O O N C A K E

Mooncakes, in addition to their religious and folkloric significance, are associated with family reunions and happiness in Chinese culture. This symbolism derives from the Chinese tradition of gathering together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival. This practice of offering food to the moon became associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival over time. Mooncakes were also one of the original offerings used by Hou Yi, according to some extended versions of the myth, Chang'e's favorite cakes.

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Also known as water chestnuts, this lesser-known traditional dish is gathered only once a year, typically a few weeks prior to the festival. They are undoubtedly the strangest-looking nuts you will ever see, but don't judge a nut by its shell; beneath its wicked exterior is a white nutty flesh with a slight crunch that tastes like a pleasantly sweet blend of roasted chestnuts and potato. While some believe that the chestnut resembles a bat, an auspicious symbol of prosperity, due to its Chinese character being homophonous with the word 'fok' (which means luck and prosperity in Chinese), others believe that this dish is eaten during the festival due to the word 'ling' in its Chinese name sounding identical to the word 'ling' in the Chinese idiom 'chung ming ling lei', which means intelligent or clever.

W A T E R C A L T R O P S

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Unfortunately, while Hou Yi was out hunting, a villain named Pangmeng discovered it and broke into their home, demanding Chang E hand over the elixir.

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CHANG'E GULPED THE ELIXIR OUT OF DESPERATION...

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In ancient times, the sky housed ten suns, and the extreme heat made life extremely difficult for humanity.&#160;

It was the hero Hou Yi who destroyed nine of the 10 suns with his incredible strength.&#160;

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One day, the Queen of Heaven presented Hou Yi with an elixir that, if consumed, would instantly transport him to heaven and transform him into a god. Hou Yi brought it home and requested that Chang’E retain it.

Along with appreciating the moon and eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, China has an unusual ritual of lighting lanterns. Lanterns were originally used as lighting equipment, similar to a standard lamp; however, lanterns have evolved into handicrafts and ornaments, and people light lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival to signify family reunion and to pray for good fortune.

Osmanthus blossoms are in full bloom throughout September and October, making them an ideal addition to a variety of foods and beverages. Consuming wine fermented with osmanthus flowers has a lengthy history, dating back over 2,000 years. Apart from celebrating the full moon and eating mooncakes, drinking osmanthus wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival represents a harmonious family, prosperity, and auspiciousness.