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By Lim Nee Ean
(First published in The Star on 16/ 9/99)
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THE candle casts
deep shadows on the screen,
The Milky Way dims and morning stars fade.
Chang-O must regret stealing the elixir,
As she broods in loneliness night after night.
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- Poem by the great Tang
poet Li Shang-yin (812-858 A.D.)
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THERE
are several stories about the origins of mooncakes and the myths and legends
behind the Mooncake Festival.
One of the more romantic myths is that Chang-O, the most beautiful woman of
Chinese mythology stole the elixir of life that her husband had obtained with
great difficulty from the Royal Mother.
The story goes like this:
Long ago, the earth was in a state of havoc because there were 10 suns in the
sky, and these were the sons of the Jade Emperor.
Rivers dried up, the land became barren, and many people died.
Seeing the death and destruction caused by his sons, the Jade Emperor took this
matter to the god Hou Yi. The Emperor asked Hou Yi to persuade his sons to rise
up away from the earth to end the catastrophe.
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When Hou Yi asked the suns to leave the
sky, they refused. Made angry by their defiance, Hou Yi, a great archer,
launched arrows at the suns, shooting them down one by one until his wife
Chang-O pleaded with him to save one sun to keep the earth warm and bright.
Knowing that the Jade Emperor was
furious at the slaying of his sons, Hou Yi and Chang-O were forced to stay on
earth.
Chang-O was unhappy, so her husband
tried to win back her favour by gathering herbs that would give them once again
the power to ascend to heaven. Chang-O remained angry, however, and
ate all the herbs herself. She flew up to the moon, where she remains alone,
living in the Moon Palace. The Tang poet, Li Shang-yin wrote the above verse on
Chang O's sad story three thousand years later, and the story of Chang-O's
flight to the moon has persisted since among the people of the world. There are
several versions of this story, but this is the more popular version.
On the 15th of the 8th lunar month every
year (this year it falls on September 24), when the moon is at its brightest
and loveliest, Chinese people around the world look at the moon and remember
Chang-O and her legend. The occasions is celebrated as the Mid-Autumn Festival,
also known as
the Moon Festival.
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Mooncakes
Mooncakes became part of the Mid-Autumn Festival because during the Yuan
dynasty (1280 1368 A.D.) when China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders
from the preceding Sung dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) were unhappy at submitting to
foreign rule, and set out to co-ordinate the rebellion
without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the
Moon Festival was drawing
near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a
message with the outline of the attack.
On the night of the Moon
Festival, the rebels succesfully attacked and overthrew the government.
What followed was the
establishment of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.).
Today, mooncakes are eaten
to commemorate this event.
For generations, mooncakes
have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste
or Chinese dates, wrapped in a pastry. Sometimes, a cooked egg yolk can be
found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert.
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Lanterns
Chinese lanterns are also specialities for this festival. The most common are
the paper folding type.
However, there are many varieties of lanterns made of different shapes and
materials.
In Malaysia, kids like to buy the lanterns in animal or flower shapes which are
sold in Chinese sundry shops, night markets or wet markets, or at the nearest
shopping centre.
During the festival,
parents allow children to stay up late, and take them to high vantage points to
light their lanterns and watch the moon rise before eating their mooncakes.
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