Mid-Autumn Festival Activities

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar each year. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the 8th month is the second month of autumn, which was historically referred to as "Zhongqiu" (mid-autumn). It is also known as "Autumn Evening," "August Festival," "Half of August," "Moon Evening," and "Moon Festival." Because the moon is full on this day, symbolizing reunion, it is also called the "Reunion Festival." Common customs during the Mid-Autumn Festival include eating mooncakes, admiring the moon, appreciating osmanthus flowers, and solving lantern riddles.

According to historical records, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of offering sacrifices to the sun during the spring equinox, to the earth during the summer solstice, to the moon during the autumn equinox, and to the heavens during the winter solstice. The places of worship were called the Sun Altar, Earth Altar, Moon Altar, and Heaven Altar, respectively, located in the four cardinal directions. The Moon Altar in Beijing was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped the moon. The "Book of Rites" records: "The Son of Heaven worships the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The morning of the sun and the evening of the moon." Here, the evening of the moon refers to the night when sacrifices are made to the moon. This custom was not only practiced by the court and the upper nobility but gradually influenced the common people as society developed.

The Panmen Scenic Area is a cultural and historical site in Suzhou with a history of 2,500 years. Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, moon appreciation activities are held, especially since the collaboration with the Taiwan Affairs Office to carry out the Mid-Autumn "Moon Worship" activities, which have become more distinctive and enriched the content of the events. The "Mid-Autumn Moon Worship Activities" have also become one of the key brand activities developed by the Panmen Scenic Area over the years.