Origin of the Moon Festival
The choice of the festival's theme -- celebrating the glories and mysteries of the moon -- was a natural. Along with the sun, the moon has long been an object of human curiosity and worship. It is probable that sun and moon were early held to be deities and that they were the first visible objects of worship, according to the book Sketches of the History of Man.
To the most ancient ancestors of the Chinese, the sun and the moon were considered the chief objects of veneration, according to records dating to the Han dynasty emperor Wu Di (157-87 B.C.).
In ancient Asian mythology, there is a strong relationship between the moon and water. The moon is said to regulate reservoirs and supplies of water. There is a suggestion that the moon produces fertility and freshness in the soil. The moon's role in bountiful harvests is widely recognized during autumns around the world.
In Chinese celestial cosmology, the moon represents the female principle, or yin. During ancient autumn Moon Festivals, women took center stage because the moon is considered feminine. Only women took part in Moon Festival rituals on the night of the full moon. Altars would be set up in households, and when the full moon appeared, women would make offerings of incense, candles, fruit, flowers, and mooncakes.
The enduring legend of the Moon Goddess, Chang E (Chang E in other transliterations), reflects the feminine principle of yin, as opposed to the masculine principle of yang, which is symbolized by the sun.
The Mooncake
Like other ancient symbolic foods, there are as many legends surrounding the moon cake as there are types of moon cakes. In one tale, moon cakes originated in ancient times to pay hommage to the moon. According to other sources, the moon cake was invented as a way to honor the Moon Goddess Chang-Er. In another story moon cakes, at the time a food of the Hu ethnic minority, were popularized after Tang Dynasty emperor Tang Taizong used the cakes to celebrate a sizable military victory.
In what is perhaps the most famous tale, it is said that during the end of the Mongolian ruled Yuan Era Han Chinese rebel Chu Yuan-chang spread a secret message baked in moon cakes giving the instructions "revolt on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month". On the night of the brightest moon these revolutionary fighters successfully attacked and overthrew the Mongolian army.
Although all Chinese celebrate the Autumn Moon Festival with moon cakes, the look and flavor of the cakes vary from region to region. Outside China in countries such as Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam there exist yet more variations. Within China there are five main moon cake producing regions: Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, Chaozhou, and Guangzhou. Beijing and Tianjin moon cakes typically have white flaky or foamy crusts and made with a vegetable filling and a liberal use of oil. Suzhou moon cakes, developed over a thousand years ago, are small cakes with strong oily and sweet flavors, and are famous for their flaky exterior. Suzhou's savory cakes are usually filled with minced pork and served hot. Chaozhou moon cakes are round with a layered flaky crust. The Guangzhou version, which is the type Westerners are most familiar with, are round or square cakes with soft golden brown exteriors commonly filled with sweet lotus paste and a salted duck egg (or two). The cake is customarily cut into quarters, thus causing the yolk to resemble a full moon.
Since the 1980s, variations such as snow skin and jelly moon cakes have appeared alongside their traditional counterparts. Some manufacturers have sought to modernize the moon cake even further, producing such novelties as ice cream, chocolate, and cartoon character (e.g. Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty) shaped cakes. Some bakers stick with a traditional exterior but fill the cakes with such things as custard, tropical fruits, and green tea. A few stores now carry high-end moon cakes filled with such luxuries as foie gras, abalone, and bird's nest. Although new types of moon cakes appear every year, one thing remains unchanged: no matter what the variation, the Autumn Moon Festival cannot be properly celebrated without the presence of our beloved moon cakes.
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The Legend of Chang E
No one is certain of all the details of the Chang E legend, but the story goes something like this:
Chang E was a beautiful young girl working in the Jade Emperor's palace in heaven, where immortals, good people and fairies lived. One day, she accidentally broke a precious porcelain jar. Angered, the Jade Emperor banished her to live on earth, where ordinary people lived. She could return to the Heaven, if she contributed a valuable service on earth.
Chang E was transformed into a member of a poor farming family. When she was 18, a young hunter named Hou Yi from another village spotted her, now a beautiful young woman. They became friends.
One day, a strange phenomenon occurred -- 10 suns arose in the sky instead one one, blazing the earth. Hou Yi, an expert archer, stepped forward to try to save the earth. He successfully shot down nine of the suns, becoming an instant hero. He eventually became king and married Chang E.
But Hou Yi grew to become a despot. He sought immortality by ordering an elixir be created to prolong his life. The elixir in the form of a single pill was almost ready when Chang E came upon it. She either accidentally or purposely swallowed the pill. This angered King Hou Yi, who went after his wife. Trying to flee, she jumped out the window of a chamber at the top of palace -- and, instead of falling, she floated into the sky toward the moon.
King Hou Yi tried to shoot her down with arrows, but without success. Once on the moon, Chang E became a three-legged toad, as punishment from the Queen Mother, according to one version of the legend. Her companion, a rabbit, is constantly pounding the elixir of immortality in a large mortar.
The moon is also inhabited by a wood cutter who tries to cut down the cassia tree, giver of life. But as fast as he cuts into the tree, it heals itself, and he never makes any progress. The Chinese use this image of the cassia tree to explain mortal life on earth -- the limbs are constantly being cut away by death, but new buds continually appear.
Meanwhile, King Hou Yi ascended to the sun and built a palace. So Chang E and Hou Yi came to represent the yin and yang, the moon and the sun.