Where to admire the full moon during Mid-Autumn Festival

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At every festival celebrated with joyful and memorable family reunions, customs are kept alive year after year. As for Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival to express a spirit of gratitude, families gathering together to admire the moon is an unmissable custom, which is widely celebrated on every 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar each year.

Families enjoy their outdoor gathering and admire the full moon near during the Mid-Autumn Festival in north China's Hebei Province. /Xinhua Photo

Nowadays, Mid-Autumn Festival is an outdoor occasion for warm quality time with loved ones and cherishing in this harmonious feeling. In Chinese beliefs, the full moon is a symbol of peace, prosperity and family reunion, thus appreciating the glorious full moon has become the highlight of the festival. Here are some popular picks for where families can enjoy moon gazing in the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

River cruise under the moonlight in Beijing

Beihai Park was chosen by generations of Chinese emperors and high officials as the place to admire the glorious full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival evening, making it one of the oldest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China. Located to the west of the Forbidden City, this former royal garden has a lake at its center, where visitors can row boats under the moonlight, enjoying the hills, pavilions and the water lapping around them.

Beihai Park, an ancient imperial garden in Beijing, capital of China. //Photo via china.org.cn

Located a mile away from the north gate of Beihai Park is Shichahai, which is composed of three lakes. The area has some ancient temples and historic sites, and it is also home to a lively nightlife scene, as well as upscale restaurants, bars, and boutiques, which were primarily built near the banks. As the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Shichahai will turn into a bustling place for people to spend the night with excitement and energy as they can take a ride in a pedicab, wander along the lakeside, or have drinks with their family and friends in a chic bar.

The Shichahai area is home to a lively nightlife scene as well as upscale restaurants and bars in Xicheng District in Beijing, capital of China. /Photo via china.org.cn

Skyline sightseeing with broad vision in Shanghai

Renowned as an international metropolis, Shanghai is dominated by dazzling skyscrapers, offering good places to see the moon over the city. One of the best places is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It is 468 meters (1540 ft) high with a revolving restaurant where people can enjoy fancy dinners. Taking the elevator up to the sightseeing floor, visitors are able to get a closer look at the moon, as well as a fabulous panoramic view of the city.

Night view of Shanghai with the Huangpu River and Oriental Pearl Tower. /Photo via shanghaidaily.com

The Bund, a mile-long stretch of waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River, is another popular place to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Full of restaurants and bars, architecture along the Bund makes the area a living museum of the colonial history of the 1800s. Taking a leisurely walk along Huangpu River, tourists can enjoy the scenery of the gorgeous lights dancing together with the moon in the sky - and it can get even better if they treat themselves to a cup of delicious wine, or have a hearty dinner with their loved ones, and make this year's festival truly special.

Aerial cityscape of the Bund at night in east China's Shanghai. /Xinhua Photo

Dazzling grand cultural celebrations in Hong Kong

One of the grandest celebrations in Hong Kong takes place during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Dazzling, expertly-designed lantern displays, big fire dragon dances, folk music, traditional stage shows and lantern riddle quizzes have attracted tens of thousands of people to the Victoria Park to enjoy the festival’s night. As the moon rises up, people sit on the lawn and enjoy the warm and sweet hours, and gaze up at the vision of the night sky.

Lanterns are seen in Hong Kong's Victoria Park. /Photo via discoverhongkong.com

On the contrary, Victoria Peak is a mountain, where you can appreciate the moon quietly and peacefully. It offers tourists an exceptional birds-eye view of how beautiful the city is, as well as separating them from the hustle and bustle. The peak is the most captivating and commanding height in Hong Kong and believed to possess the most famous night scene of this harbor city.

An visual overlooks Central, Victoria Harbor and Kowloon, with a full moon over the horizon in Hong Kong. /Photo via discoverhongkong.com

Reach the moon on top of Mt. Emei in Sichuan Province

Located in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Mount Emei will send tourists to a wonderland with clear skies, making the exceptionally bright moon seem nearer at the night of Mid-Autumn Festival. The Golden Summit on top of Mt. Emei is a Buddha, which sits at an elevation of 3,077 meters above sea level, and is where people can see the clouds both underfoot and overhead. The moon is so pure, and when combined with the tranquil mountainous ambiance, it turns the mountain into a brilliant pure silver world where people can appreciate the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Golden Summit of Mt. Emei, in southwest China's Sichuan Province. /‍Photo via visitourchina.com

For Chinese people, watching the harvest moon rise up in the sky and shine gloriously is mingled with nostalgic sentiment in the hearts of many. Even though one person's idea of the best place to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival might differ wildly from the other's, what most people really want from this special festival is to simply gather together with their families and spend more quality time with one another.