Customs around the Mid-Autumn Festival

Shanghai residents line up to buy mooncakes stuffed with fresh meat on September 16, 2015 as the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches.

One particular Chinese folk tale relates how in the Moon Palace there was a huge osmanthus tree, more than 1,000 meters tall. Due to his violation of Taoist rules, Wu Gang was banished to the Moon Palace to cut down the tree as punishment. However, the sacred tree could self-heal the cuts Wu made on its trunk. Although hundreds of years passed by, the magic tree still thrived even though Wu chopped it diligently every day. Wu was allowed to rest only on the Mid-Autumn Day.

The eighth month of the lunar calendar is also a season of osmanthus blossom fragrance. Blossoms can be used to make various delicacies. It has therefore become traditional for people to drink fermented wine made from osmanthus flowers on that day, while eating other osmanthus-flavored delicacies.

In Guangzhou, on Mid-Autumn night, kids fix different shaped lanterns on short sticks that are then positioned vertically one by one on a high pole. These splendidly glittering lights, add a new beauty to the festival. Kids enjoy racing to be the first to erect the highest pole hung with the most exquisite and largest number of lamps. In Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, people also have a tradition of making lamps with bamboo strips that are hung in front of a moon-worshipping table. Kids also play with these lamps. In addition, lamps made from grapefruit, orange peel and pumpkin are also popular during this festival.