The three most important Chinese holidays in Taiwan are the Chinese (Lunar) New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn (or Moon) Festival. The dates of these annual holidays are based on the Lunar calendar. In the past the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated in conjunction with the fall harvest. The true origin of the festival is unknown and is best explained, like most of these holidays, with legends. In the case of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the story of Chang O is the most popular.

Legends
According to this legend, 10 suns once blazed down on the earth. To save the world from the resulting drought and starvation, the great Chinese archer Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns and also built a palace of jade for the Goddess of the Western Heaven. As a reward, Hou Yi was given a pill of immortality. Unfortunately, his curious and beautiful wife, Chang O, discovered the pill and swallowed it. She immediately began floating towards the moon, where she was destined to live forever.

  

Moon Cakes and Pomelos
Moon cakes were integrated with the Mid-Autumn Festival during the Yuan dynasty (A.D. 1277-1367). With the oppressive rule of the Mongols, the Chinese revolutionaries could not plan a concerted revolt without being detected. Realizing the popularity of moon cakes amongst the Han Chinese during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the revolutionaries placed notes inside the cakes

informing the people of their plans for revolt. Escaping notice, the notes effectively communicated the time and day for a joint uprising against the Mongols. The revolt was a success, and the Mongols were subsequently driven out of China. With the overthrow of the Yuan dynasty, moon cakes become a central part of the holiday.

Moon cakes are customarily circular in shape, but rectangular cakes are gaining in popularity. Fillings are traditionally made of red or green bean paste with nuts and fruits. In addition to sweet fillings, savory moon cakes are also popular; these tend to have pork fillings and an egg yolk in the middle. In recent years, moon cakes have even included fillings made with XO Cognac, rose petals, and ice cream!

In addition to moon cakes, the pomelo fruit--which ripens in autumn--is also an essential part of the festival. Pomelos look like large green pears but have the texture and slight taste of grapefruit. The Chinese word for the pomelo fruit is similar in sound to the word for "blessing." Along with its auspicious name, the sweet honey taste of the pomelo fruit complements the rich flavor of moon cakes.

A Time for Gift-giving
The moon is believed to be at its brightest and fullest on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month--the date of the Mid-Autumn Festival. On this evening, couples stroll in the moonlight, families gather for late-night picnics in parks, and groups of friends get together for rooftop barbecues. The moon symbolizes perfection or completeness. In Chinese culture, the family represents an important circle of relations that cannot be broken. For Jennifer You (´å´fªâ), an accountant at a

local firm, the holiday is spent with family and friends. "We get together with our family on Mid-Autumn Festival to complete the circle," explains You. "In the past, people enjoyed moon cakes while sipping cups of brewed tea after dinner, relaxing in the cool night air. Nowadays, families take the opportunity to barbecue on the balcony or in the park with friends and family under the full moon."

Whole neighborhoods will corner off a section of the alley or street and hold an outdoor barbecue. With the smell of meat roasting on two or three grills, neighbors take the opportunity to eat moon cakes, drink tea, and mingle. Another common sight during the festival is the offerings of fruit, beverages, and moon cakes placed in front of businesses or homes.

"Businesses traditionally worship on the 2nd and 16th days of each lunar month to bring on good fortune," explains Phil Lan (Äx°öÅï), general manager at TranDa Corporation. "We also worship on the Mid-Autumn Festival to increase our chances at improving our luck. Usually, I will prepare offerings and burn paper money to the Tien Kung (the Lord of Heaven)," he said.

Photo courtesy Wendy L.C. Yen

Gift-giving is another integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The most common gift, of course, is the moon cake. Gift-giving is not limited to families and friends. Businesses also carry on this tradition; depending on the size of the company, the gift may range from moon cakes, fruit, or hungpao (red envelopes containing cash). The hungpao may be NT$500 (US$20) up to half a month's salary!

If you are in Taiwan during this romantic holiday, don't be surprised if you find yourself invited to a park for some moon cake or to an associate's apartment for a barbecue. Some of the more popular spots to enjoy the moon on this special night in Taipei include Yangmingshan, Ta An Park, and Youth Park. The trails located in the hills off of Hsingan Street, across from the Taipei World Trade Center, also offer clear views of the city and the moon.