Mooncake Festival

Though Moon Cake day falls on 14 Sept, the restaurants and bakeries have already started selling them. Every year you will see new design packaging, this year I haven’t seen any that impressed me yet but there will be more coming. As for me I have sunk my teeth on the first Moon Cake already and of course it is the Lotus Paste with Double Yolk by Tai Thong restaurant. To get into the spirit of the celebration, would like to share the story of The Lady on the Moon… enjoy and let me know your comment!

The Story of the Lady on the Moon

One day, the Jade Emperor (who is often busy working on other things) failed to attend to his 10 sons, allowing them to become rambunctious and boastful. They had transformed themselves into 10 suns in the sky to reflect their inner radiance, but in their self-absorption failed to see that they were burning the earth and everyone on it.

The people were desperate, and called for the famous archer, Hou Yi. He took his bow and his best arrows and shot down nine of the suns — sparing the earth, but killing the sons of the Jade Emperor.

As a reward for his service to humanity, the king granted Hou Yi a powerful boon: the elixir of immortality.

Now, there are two versions of what happened next. It might be that Hou Yi became proud and cruel, made himself a new king and would have stayed a cruel and proud king forever unless Chang-Er did something to stop him. Or it may be that Chang-Er became too curious and too vain, refused to wait for her husband to share the elixir — he had gotten two doses, after all — and crept into his room, unlocked the chest where the elixir was kept and stole it all for herself.

Either way, what happened next is clear. She swallowed the elixir. But, alas, it was too strong for one person! She was so filled with the power of life that she began to rise up into the heavens! She rose higher and higher until she eventually landed on the moon. And there she stays to this day.

Some people say she misses her husband terribly and regrets her hasty decision. Those people also say that today, the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar, is the one day when the Jade Emperor allows her to descend to earth so she and Hou Yi can be together. But other people say she’s glad to be apart from her terrifying husband, but sorry she’s forever imprisoned on the moon with nothing but her mirror for companionship. Those people also say the Jade Emperor took pity on her, and put a Jade Rabbit on the moon to keep her company. The rabbit stays busy up there, working a mortar and pestle to pound out medicines — including fresh doses of the elixir of immortality. Maybe some day, he’ll create an antidote that will allow Chang-Er to descend safely back to earth.