How the Mid-Autumn Festival Originated: History and Folklore

Origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese celebration with roots in the Han Dynasty, occurs on the full moon of the 8th lunar month. It honors the harvest season with mooncakes and moon-gazing.

The festival's legend features Hou Yi, an archer who saved the world by shooting down nine of ten suns. He received an elixir of immortality, which he entrusted to his wife, Chang'e. When a disciple tried to steal the elixir, Chang’e swallowed it and ascended to the moon, becoming its goddess and leaving Hou Yi behind.

During the late Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, a leader of the Red Turban Rebellion, used mooncakes to secretly plan a revolt against the Mongols. The Mongols, seeing the mooncakes as mere festive treats, were caught off guard, leading to their defeat. Zhu later founded the Ming Dynasty as Emperor Hongwu.