Tips: How to celebrate a typical Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival?

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The Mid-Autumn Festival is finally here. Celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month each year, the festival probably enjoys fame beyond China and other Asian countries.

As the second grandest lunar festival marked in China, aside from the Spring Festival, an official holiday is designated for it, and many Chinese people may celebrate the day at the holiday resorts.

But how much do you know about the typical ways to celebrate the festival? Here are some tips.

The moon hanging in the sky in Shanghai. /VCG Photo

Mooncakes, hairy crabs and sweet-scented osmanthus

The Mid-Autumn Festival is all about the full moon. The Chinese people believed that the full moon represents a family reunion as well as perfection. As a result, admiring the moon has become an essential part of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.

But the full moon itself is not enough. Mooncakes, which are made into the same shape as the moon, are filled with a variety of stuffing.

In today's modern favors, the mooncakes are infused with more diversified ingredients that satisfy people with different tastes. There are salted, sweetened and even add some extra spice to the mooncakes flavorings.

Mooncakes of different flavors. /VCG Photo

More specifically speaking, nearly all the desserts from the East to the West could now find an equivalent in the world of mooncakes, such as matcha, cheese and Tiramisu.

The Mid-Autumn Day, falling in the middle of the autumn is also an occasion to mark the harvest. Some fresh fruits and vegetables would make the night even more enjoyable. But hairy crab is probably the most preferred dish beside the mooncakes.

Steamed hairy crabs dipped with vinegar and ginger is paired with a glass of yellow wine, one could easily capture the essence of a typical Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

Mooncakes and hairy crab. /VCG Photo

The best locations for admiring the moon

As admiring the moon is the theme of the Mid-Autumn Festival, selecting the perfect location has become a top concern for many.

Sites with an open view are always the best choices, such as on the top levels of a skyscraper, the peak of the mountains, in the park or the historical sites of the ancient cities. For instance, in Hangzhou city, the West Lake is recommended, as the moon's reflection in the lake would make one of the most beautiful scenery.

The moon and its reflection near the Palace Museum. /VCG Photo

In Beijing, the Summer Palace, the Beihai Park and the Jingshan Park are all among the best sites to admire the full moon. The historical architectures such as pagodas or palaces sitting on high hills would make the best background for a good photograph of the moon.

Say ‘cheese' with the moon out

In the internet era, the Mid-Autumn Festival is often bestowed with another layer of meaning – a photography competition on the social media.

It is time to share the tips, with which it could be easier for us to become the champion among your friends in our WeChat Moments.

Photographic works of the moon at the historical sites across China. /VCG Photo

The importance of selecting a good location is once again highlighted. With a historical architecture in either the foreground or the background would add much more sense of history to your works.

If there is a river or lake nearby, the photos would be even more satisfying.

But what if such a location is not available? Maybe it's time to use your imagination and be creative in the composition. For instance, the illusion photography.

Creative photographic works of the moon. /VCG Photo

Either create a poetic “painting” of your own or “grab” the moon with your hands, such a photo could easily make your works outstanding among a bunch of pictures of the moon.

Of course, if you are an enthusiast in photography or even a professional photographer, it is one of the best time to exhibit your works and make a hit of them. A group of time-lapse photographic photos could make you the star of the day.

Have you got the tips? Then give it a try and enjoy it tonight, as the moon rises!

(Head image by Xu Qianyun. )