- The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which is usually in September or October. It is an important Chinese festival with a history of over 3,000 years. A long time ago, the festival was held to worship the moon and thank it for the year’s harvest. Nowadays, it is a time for family reunions. There are many legends about the Mid-Autumn Festival. The legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e is a popular one.1
- A long time ago, the earth was surrounded by ten suns. All of them appeared in the sky at the same time. The earth was so hot that people's lives became difficult. Hou Yi was a great archer. He shot arrows at nine suns and left one. After that, the Goddess of Heaven gave him an elixir of immortality so that he could continue to protect the people and the earth.2
- Hou Yi's wife, Chang'e, helped him keep the elixir. However, one of his students, Pang Meng attempted to steal his elixir. On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when Hou Yi was not at home, Pang Meng went to his house. He forced Chang’e to pass the elixir to him but she refused. She drank the elixir at once. Soon, she flew to the moon. Hou Yi was desperate because she would be gone forever. To remember Chang’e, Hou Yi and the villagers worshipped the moon and prepared fruits and cakes for her on that day every year. Since then, family gatherings, eating mooncakes and admiring the moon have become Mid-Autumn customs.3
- Mooncakes, which symbolise reunion and happiness, are traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Red bean paste, lotus seed paste and salted egg yolks are common fillings in traditional mooncakes with golden pastry. "Snowy mooncakes" are another kind of mooncakes with different flavours and textures. They are filled with special ingredients such as fruit and jam and wrapped in mochi dough. Apart from mooncakes, people also eat seasonal fruits such as starfruits and pomelos, which are believed to bring good luck.4
- On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, friends and relatives exchange best wishes. In the evening, people have a reunion dinner with family members, during which they have a nice chat. After having a plentiful meal, they usually drink a cup of tea and eat some mooncakes and fruits under the full moon. Then, they go to a park to admire the full moon and take a stroll. Children carry their lanterns of different shapes and colours with laughter. In some parks, appealing lantern displays are held. People can appreciate a range of lanterns, from traditionally handcrafted lanterns to modern ones in various designs. It is lucky that people can fully enjoy the festive evening as the following day is a public holiday.5
- The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important Chinese festival. People treasure the special occasion on which they exchange best wishes with friends and relatives, have a gathering with family members, enjoy good food and admire the full moon.6
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e
Festive Food
Celebrations of the Festival in Hong Kong
Some Thoughts about the Festival
Suggested answers
Sunny29th September 2023
Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. I spent a nice day with my family.
In the morning, I could see huge lanterns on the way to school. The festive atmosphere made me feel excited. In the English lesson, Miss Lee read the legend (Paragraph 1) of Hou Yi and Chang’e. I like it very much because it is touching. I should treasure (Paragraph 6) every moment with my family. In the Art lesson, I made a paper lantern for my dad and made another one for my mum. She likes bunnies very much so I drew many of them on her lantern.
After lunch, my parents and I were busy making "snowy (Paragraph 4) mooncakes" with mochi dough and preparing dishes for dinner. Tonight, Grandpa and Grandma had dinner with us. They said the homemade mooncakes and the plentiful (Paragraph 5) meal were delicious.
After dinner, we went to the park nearby and took a stroll (Paragraph 5). I carried a lantern with much joy. My parents also carried the paper lanterns. I could see some children wearing special hats. I was curious. My mum told me that some parents used the pomelo skin to make hats so that blessings could be sent to their children.
I wish I could have a pomelo hat from my parents! Wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Part C
Read the diary entry below. Fill in each blank with a word from the reading text. You can find the word in the given paragraph.
Sunny29th September 2023
Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. I spent a nice day with my family.
In the morning, I could see huge lanterns on the way to school. The festive atmosphere made me feel excited. In the English lesson, Miss Lee read the (Paragraph 1) of Hou Yi and Chang’e. I like it very much because it is touching. I should (Paragraph 6) every moment with my family. In the Art lesson, I made a paper lantern for my dad and made another one for my mum. She likes bunnies very much so I drew many of them on her lantern.
After lunch, my parents and I were busy making " (Paragraph 4) mooncakes" with mochi dough and preparing dishes for dinner. Tonight, Grandpa and Grandma had dinner with us. They said the homemade mooncakes and the (Paragraph 5) meal were delicious.
After dinner, we went to the park nearby and took a (Paragraph 5). I carried a lantern with much joy. My parents also carried the paper lanterns. I could see some children wearing special hats. I was curious. My mum told me that some parents used the pomelo skin to make hats so that blessings could be sent to their children.
I wish I could have a pomelo hat from my parents! Wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!