![]() ![]() Traditionally, the most well-known mooncakes hail from southern China. The mooncake industry is a billion-dollar business in China alone. The lotus seed paste that has been a classic favourite is just one of many types of mooncake fillings across China, which include seeds, dried fruit, assorted beans and even ham. However, a scripture from the Song period once described mooncakes as “soft, flat cakes that were steamed and had no filling” – nothing like the baked types we see today.īy the early 19 th century, cities along the Yangtze River Delta (Suzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou) began creating mooncakes filled with walnuts and a soft sweetened paste. Emperor Xizong who reigned between 873AD-888AD presented round cakes and red silk during the festival to scholars who excelled their imperial tests.īut it was during the Song dynasty (960AD-1279) that mooncakes became a de rigueur custom to the festival. Historically, the association of round cakes with the Mid-Autumn Festival began during the Tang dynasty (618AD-907AD). There are various types of mooncakes according to its origins. The revolt was a success and the Mongol government overthrown, marking the creation of the Ming Dynasty in 1368. Messages that read, “Kill the Mongols on the 15 th day of the 8 th month” were concealed inside mooncakes as a way to organise a rebellion. Rebel leader Zhu Yuan Zhang distributed thousands of mooncakes to the Chinese people in Mongol capital to ‘celebrate’ the Mongol ruler. One of the most popular stories talked about how mooncakes were used as a plotting mechanism against the Mongol rule at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. 13 mooncakes will also be displayed to represent the 13 months of the Chinese lunar.īut how did the Chinese end up celebrating the festival by giving out and eating mooncakes? Fables and folktales have different stories on the origin of this customary practice. ![]() Chinese people in ancient times would worship the moon as a symbol of thanksgiving for good harvest.ĭuring the festival, women would set up an altar with statues of the moon rabbit, melons and pomegranates to symbolise fertility. Touched by this love story, the practice of worshipping the moon and lighting lanterns in her honour to see her in the beautiful night sky has since evolved into a tradition that spread across China. Hou Yi, distraught at the loss of his wife, burned incense and made food offerings to the moon. She was unable to descend back to Earth and remained on the moon as one of the heavenly deities, although different versions suggested that she would return to earth once every year during the Mid-Autumn day to reunite with her husband. When one of Hou Yi’s disciples tried to steal the elixir, Chang-Er made a quick decision to swallow the potion and floated to the moon. ![]()
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