Mooncakes symbolize the gathering of friends and family and are an

indispensable part of the offerings made to the Earth God, Tu Ti Kung.

According to popular belief, the custom of eating mooncakes began in the late

Yuan dynasty. As the story goes, the Han people of that time resented the

Mongol rule of the Yuan Dynasty and revolutionaries, led by Chu Yuan-chang,

plotted to usurp the throne. Chu needed to find a way of uniting the people to

revolt on the same day without letting the Mongol rulers learn of the plan.

Chu's close advisor, Liu Po-wen, finally came up with a brilliant idea. A rumor

was spread that a plague was ravaging the land and that only by eating a special

mooncake distributed by the revolutionaries could the disaster be prevented.

The mooncakes were then distributed only to the Han people, who found, upon

cutting the cakes open, the message "Revolt on the fifteenth of the eighth

month." Thus informed, the people rose together on the designated day to

overthrow the Yuan, and since that time mooncakes have become an integral

part of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

lThe round moon cakes, measuring about three inches in

diameter and one and a half inches in thickness, resembled

Western fruitcakes in taste and consistency. These cakes

were made with melon seeds( 西 瓜 子 ), lotus seeds( 莲 籽 ),

almonds(杏仁), minced meats, bean paste, orange peels and

lard( 猪 油 ). A golden yolk( 蛋 黄 ) from a salted duck egg was

placed at the center of each cake, and the golden brown

crust was decorated with symbols of the festival.

Traditionally, thirteen moon cakes were piled in a pyramid to

symbolize the thirteen moons of a "complete year," that is,

This day was also considered as a harvest festival since

fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this

The joyous Mid-Autumn Festival time and food was abundant. Food offerings were placed

was celebrated on the fifteenth

day of the eighth moon, around on an altar set up in the courtyard. Apples, pears,

the time of the autumn peaches, grapes, pomegranates( 石榴 ), melons, oranges

equinox( 秋分 ). and pomelos( 柚子 ) might be seen. Special foods for the

festival included moon cakes, cooked taro( 芋头 )and

water caltrope( 菱角 ), a type of water chestnut resembling

black buffalo horns. Some people insisted that cooked taro

be included because at the time of creation, taro was the

first food discovered at night in the moonlight. Of all these

班级： 姓名： foods, it could not be omitted from the Mid-Autumn

Festival