Mid-Autumn Festival In China
Chinese have long linked the ups and down of life to the changes of the moon. As the full moon is round (轮 – yuan), and symbolize reunion (圆 – yuan), it is also known as the Festival of Reunion in China. All family members try to get together on this special day. Besides, mooncake is a main dish of the event. Those who can not return home watch the bright moonlight and feel deep longing for their loved ones.
In China, Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the major holiday, with many festival activities and special public performances. After a reunion dinner, moon cake as a dessert and families will go together to scenic spots and parks for moon appreciation parties, eating mooncakes and pomeloes in the cool night air and praying for a safe year.
Different parts of China each has different ways to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. In some places people make fires inside a towers to celebratethe festival, because they think the fire is a symbol of good business. In the Zhejiang Province, watching the flood tide of the Qian-tang River during the Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a must for local peple, but also an attraction for those from other partsof the country.
In Nanjing, people cook duck with sweet-scented osmanthus, because Nanjing people think sweet-scented osmanthus is a symbol of peace. In Guangzhou, a huge lantern show is a big attraction for locals and visitors. Thousands of differently shaped lanterns are lit, forming a fantastic contrast with the bright moonlight. In Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, people eat taro to celebratethe festival, because the taro harvest occurs at the same time as the festival. They eat taro and hope the harvest is good in the next year.
Source: http://sgholiday.com/2010/08/moon-cake-festival-2010/
