Hi Huneybees,
Today is the MidAutumn Festival (中秋节). What have you guys planned with the family? I will be home for dinner before heading out to Chinese Garden with a couple of friends and hubby....
Actually, I was asked about the Chang'e story yesterday and I jammed. I forgot! So I came home to Wikipedia and thanks to technology, I got the story again....
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| The last time I was at Chinese Garden celebrating MidAutumn Festival... |
Actually, I was asked about the Chang'e story yesterday and I jammed. I forgot! So I came home to Wikipedia and thanks to technology, I got the story again....
Houyi was an immortal and Chang'e was a beautiful young girl, working in the palace of the Jade Emperor (the Emperor of Heaven) as an attendant to the Queen Mother of the West (the Jade Emperor's wife). Houyi aroused the jealousy of the other immortals, who then slandered him before the Jade Emperor. Houyi and his wife, Chang'e, were subsequently banished from heaven. They were forced to live on Earth. Houyi had to hunt to survive and became a skilled and famous archer.
At that time, there were 10 suns, in the form of three-legged birds, residing in a mulberry tree in the eastern sea. Each day one of the sun birds would have to travel around the world on a carriage, driven by Xihe, the 'mother' of the suns. One day, all ten of the suns circled together, causing the Earth to burn. Emperor Yao, the Emperor of China, commanded Houyi to use his archery skill to shoot down all but one of the suns. Upon completion of his task, the Emperor rewarded Houyi with a pill that granted eternal life.
Emperor Yao advised Houyi not to swallow the pill immediately but instead to prepare himself by praying and fasting for a year before taking it. Houyi took the pill home and hid it under a rafter. One day, Houyi was summoned away again by Emperor Yao. During her husband's absence, Chang'e, noticed a white beam of light beckoning from the rafters, and discovered the pill. Chang'e swallowed it and immediately found that she could fly. Houyi returned home, realizing what had happened he began to reprimand his wife. Chang'e escaped by flying out the window into the sky.
Houyi pursued her halfway across the heavens but was forced to return to Earth because of strong winds. Chang'e reached the moon, where she coughed up part of the pill. Chang'e commanded the hare that lived on the moon to make another pill. Chang'e would then be able to return to Earth and her husband.
The legend states that the hare is still pounding herbs, trying to make the pill. Houyi built himself a palace in the sun, representing "Yang" (the male principle), in contrast to Chang'e's home on the moon which represents "Yin" (the female principle). Once a year, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Houyi visits his wife. That is the reason why the moon is very full and beautiful on that night.
This is always a great time to spend time with you loved ones and I wish all of you a very Happy MidAutumn Festival! Share how you spent your MidAutumn Festival ya? :)
And according to tradition, during MidAutumn Festival, there's always a riddle time (猜灯谜).
Can you answer this? "兩間屋子真稀奇，大門常開也常關，屋裡可容千萬人，難容沙粒住裡邊。 (猜一人體部份)?". Crack your brains and I'll reveal the answer tonight.... The first person who gets it right will receive a little goodie bag from me.... Have fun!
