| The moon, long an object to curiosity and | | | | legends associated with it. The first concerns its |
| worship, has inspired many tales in ancient China. | | | | role in the overthrow of the Yuan Dynasty (AD |
| While on board a boat, Tang Dynasty poet Li Po | | | | 960-1280) that was established by the Mongols in |
| was believed to have tried to embrace the | | | | ancient China. Under the oppressive rule of the |
| reflection of the moon while he was drunk. He fell | | | | Mongols, gatherings of a group of people were |
| overboard and drowned. In days of yore, people | | | | forbidden, and it was decreed that each household |
| regarded a round shape as family reunion; thus | | | | be allowed to own only one kitchen cleaver, which |
| the appearance of a full moon was regarded as | | | | was chained to a chopping block. It was impossible |
| an auspicious time for family members to get | | | | to organise any uprisings. Liu Fu Tong, a rebel |
| together. At no other time of the year is the | | | | leader of Anhui province, requested permission |
| moon brightest and fullest on the fifteenth day of | | | | from the District Officer to distribute cakes to |
| the eighth lunar month. In 2009, that auspicious | | | | bless the longevity of the Mongolian emperor. The |
| day falls on October 3, 2009, which is also known | | | | District Officer agreed, and Liu made thousands |
| as the Mid-autumn Festival. Lantern processions | | | | of round cakes which he called mooncakes. Each |
| and the eating of mooncakes are highlights of the | | | | cake contained a piece of paper outlining the plan |
| celebrations. | | | | of an attack. He told the recipients to eat the |
| In Malaysia, which has a Chinese population, the | | | | mooncakes on the 15th day of he 8th lunar |
| Mooncake Festival is also celebrated on a | | | | moon. On that fateful day, when the people cut |
| moderately grand scale with prayers and reunion | | | | the mooncakes, they were able to coordinate a |
| dinners. Altars are set up in the open air under the | | | | rebellion on a local scale. Another rebel leader, Chu |
| moonlight, and offerings of pomegranates, | | | | Hung Wu, capitalised on the chaos to overthrow |
| pomelos, steamed sponge cake, water-calthrops, | | | | the Mongol emperor, and established the Ming |
| mini yams and mooncakes are laid. The moon is | | | | Dynasty in AD 1368). |
| worshipped, and there is feasting, moon gazing | | | | Another legend concerns Chang Er, who was a |
| and, in modern families, partying and drinking. | | | | daughter of a poor farming family. When she was |
| Children carry lanterns and sometimes | | | | 18, Hou Yi, a skilled archer from a neighbouring |
| competitions are held. According to older | | | | village saw her attending to the fowls in her |
| generations, on this day, the taboo of not pointing | | | | parents' farm, and was captivated by her beauty. |
| to the moon should be observed, lest a moon | | | | Over the next few days, he deliberately rode |
| fairy will cut off one's ears! | | | | passed the farm again and managed to introduced |
| In Kuala Lumpur, the Thean Hou Kung Temple on | | | | himself. She accepted his friendship, and soon |
| Jalan Syed Putra holds a grand celebration | | | | they became lovers. During the period of their |
| annually, while similar merry-making is held in | | | | courtship, a phenomenon happened. The ten suns |
| Penang in either the Chinese Assembly Hall or the | | | | of the earth that took turns to bring warmth and |
| Kek Lok See Temple. Organisers of such | | | | light appeared together. Rivers dried up and the |
| celebrations are the Chinese guilds, associations | | | | land became barren, causing starvation and |
| and temple trustees. | | | | massive destruction. |
| Weeks before the festival, mooncakes and | | | | Hou Yi climbed up to the highest mountain he |
| lanterns are put up for sale. In the Chinese | | | | could find and launched his mighty arrows. One by |
| districts of many cities, especially Kuala Lumpur, | | | | one, nine of the suns were shot down. The |
| Georgetown, Malacca and Ipoh, red boxes packed | | | | people rejoiced and made Hou Yi their King. He |
| with mooncakes are piled high on the sales | | | | married Chang Er, and they lived happily for |
| counters of restaurants, and lanterns in the | | | | several years. However, Hou Yi changed into a |
| shapes of animals, flowers, butterflies and cartoon | | | | despot, and tried to seek immortality. He |
| characters dangle in clusters from toy stores and | | | | employed sorcerers to create an elixir of life for |
| incense shops. In keeping with the times, some of | | | | him. One prominent sorcerer told him he needed |
| the lanterns are operated by battery though | | | | children to be sacrificed as part of the process of |
| those lighted by candles are still popular. | | | | creating the elixir. Hou Yi ordered his troops to |
| Mooncakes are bought not only for prayer and | | | | snatch children from their families, and the elixir |
| consumption but to be given to friends and | | | | table was almost completed. |
| relatives. | | | | One evening, Chang Er sneaked in the sorcerer's |
| Shaped like the surface of a mooncakes come in | | | | chamber that was housed in a tall tower in the |
| several traditional varieties. They can be filled with | | | | palace. She rummaged everywhere and found the |
| black-bean paste, brownish lotus-paste, | | | | tablet. At that moment, the sorcerer burst in and |
| yellow-bean paste and lotus-seed mixed with | | | | Chang Er quickly swallowed the tablet. The |
| sweetened paste. Usually, a preserved duck-egg | | | | sorcerer raised the alarm and in rushed Hou Yi |
| yoke is added to the stuffing. These mooncakes | | | | who tried to force his wife to return the pill. It |
| are of the Cantonese version, and in addition, | | | | was too late. She had swallowed it, and in her bid |
| there are also less popular Hokkien-style | | | | to escape from Hou Yi, she was forced to jump |
| mooncakes that come in a long cylindrical roll and | | | | from a window. However, she did not fall down |
| Teochew mooncakes filled with yam. In Malaysia, | | | | but floated up to the moon, where she lives alone. |
| halal mooncakes are also available. To cater to the | | | | Another version says that as punishment for |
| increasing sophisticated taste buds of Malaysians, | | | | stealing the elixir of life, Chang Er was turned into |
| innovations in mooncakes include ice-cream | | | | a three-legged toad. Her pet rabbit became her |
| mooncakes, pandanus moncakes, green tea | | | | companion, and is always pounding the elixir of |
| mooncakes and durian mooncakes. | | | | immortality in a large mortar. Today, it it believed |
| The origins of the Mooncake Festival have been | | | | that people celebrate the Mooncake Festival to |
| lost in the mists of time but there are two | | | | remember Chang Er. |