Lunar Luminary
This piece was inspired by the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival (Sep 21, 2021 this year), also known as Moon Festival (simplified Chinese: 中秋节; traditional Chinese: 中秋節), a traditional festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian people. It is the second-most important holiday after Chinese New Year, with a history dating back over 3,000 years when the Emperor of China worshiped the moon for bountiful harvests.
An important part of the festival celebration is moon worship. In China, the Mid-Autumn festival symbolizes the family reunion. All families will appreciate the moon in the evening on this day because it is the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar when the moon is at its fullest. There is a beautiful myth about the Mid-Autumn festival, that is Chang'e flying to the moon.
Chang’e is the Chinese Moon Goddess, and the legend of her comes in many different forms. Almost all of them which I’ve come across so far, unfolded in the context of Chang’e’s is the wife of the archer Hou Yi; involve the search for an elixir of Immortality, and end with Chang’e living on the moon. Here’s a well-known version of this legend:
In the ancient past, there was a hero named Hou Yi who was excellent at archery. His wife was Chang'e. One year, the ten suns rose in the sky together, causing great disaster to the people. Yi shot down nine of the suns and left only one to provide light. An immortal admired Yi and sent him the elixir of immortality. Hou Yi did not want to leave Chang'e and be immortal without her, so he let Chang'e keep the elixir. However, Peng Meng, one of his apprentices, knew this secret. So, on the fifteenth of August in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, when Hou Yi went hunting, Peng Meng broke into Hou Yi's house and forced Chang'e to give the elixir to him. Chang'e refused to do so. Instead, she swallowed it and flew into the sky. Since she loved her husband and hoped to live nearby, she chose the moon for her residence. When Hou Yi came back and learned what had happened, he felt so sad that he displayed the fruits and cakes Chang'e liked in the yard and gave sacrifices to his wife. People soon learned about these activities, and since they also were sympathetic to Chang'e they participated in these sacrifices with Hou Yi.
When people learned of this story, they burnt incense on a long altar and prayed to Chang ‘e, now the goddess of the moon, for luck and safety. For thousands of years, the custom of praying to the moon on Mid-Autumn Day has been handed down by generations.
The handbook of Chinese Mythology also describes an alternate common version of the myth: After the hero Houyi shot down nine of the ten suns, he was pronounced king by the thankful people. However, he soon became a conceited and tyrannical ruler. To live long without death, he asked for the elixir from Xiwangmu (the Queen Mother of the West). But his wife, Chang'e, stole it on the fifteenth of August because she did not want the cruel king to live long and hurt more people. She took the magic potion to prevent her husband from becoming immortal. Houyi was so angry when he discovered that Chang'e took the elixir, he shot at his wife as she flew toward the moon, though he missed. Chang'e fled to the moon and became the spirit of the moon. Houyi died soon because he was overcome with great anger. After that, people offer a sacrifice to Chang'e on every fifteenth day of eighth month to commemorate her.
Inspired by Chang'e and moon, I created this piece with traditional symbolisms:
The Rabbit: the Jade Rabbit, who lived on the moon and accompanied Chang'e.
The peacock: symbolizes dignity and beauty. In China, the bird was a symbol of the Ming Dynasty, representing divinity, rank, power, and beauty. The peacock with its tail of 100 eyes is also associated with the goddess Guan Yin, which resembles protection and holiness.
The Peony Flower: in China and Japan, peonies mean 'king of flowers'. They symbolize prosperity, good luck, love and honor.
The Plum Blossom: In China, the five petals represent the Five Blessings:“长寿”- Long Life,“富贵” - Wealth, “康宁” - Good Health & Peace,“好德” - Love of Virtue, and“善终” - Natural Death.
Full Moon: Symbol of peace, prosperity, and family reunion