Moon Festival

The Taiwanese celebrate the year's finest moon with cakes and contemplation.

Before Taiwan became the powerhouse of high technology that it is today it was essentially an agricultural region, hence the importance placed by the locals on the moon.

The lunar calendar was reflected in the cyles of the soil, while the fine autumn moon also marked the end of the agricultural year; a time to celebrate and reflect.

These days, the Moon festival is more about the consumption of the famous moon cakes than anything else, with manufacturers competing to produce the most exotic and delicious examples. Traditionally filled with red bean paste, these sticky confections are presented to friends and family to mark the occasion. When darkness comes, the parks around Taipei fill with families and couples come to bask in the romantic light of the full moon.

A welcome respite from the daily bustle of the Taiwanese capital, the festival celebrates a time when China came under Mongolian rule in A.D.1280-1368. Chinese subjects plotted a rebellion to be carried out on the 15th day of the Eighth Lunar Moon. Secret messages were stuffed into moon cakes so that word could be passed around Chinese patriots without the knowledge of the Mongolian rulers. Accordingly, on the night of the full moon, the Chinese rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the Mongolian government.

Related Information

Website: Moon Festival Website