Over three thousand years in the making, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in Canada and the world over by Chinese and non-Chinese alike. On the occasion of this beloved festival, the acclaimed Divine Performing Arts Troupe is descending upon Toronto this September to present a rare glimpse at China's ancient culture through the Mid-Autumn Spectacular.
Throughout Chinese history, the Mid-Autumn Festival, sometimes referred to as the Moon Festival, has been a celebration of the wholeness, abundance and rejoicing of family as symbolized by the full moon. It is at this time of year that the moon appears very close to the earth, sitting just above the horizon, giving it a red hue, which symbolizes the joining of the female (moon) and male (sun) forces, the yin and yang respectively in Chinese culture.
The festival usually takes places in the middle of autumn, just around the time of the autumn equinox and the Canadian Thanksgiving.
The origin of the moon festival can be traced back to the Xia and Shang Dynasties, where the festival is said to have originated from both a ritual and a legend. It was in the Tang Dynasty that the Moon Festival became one of China's most prominent festivals.
The ritual stemmed from China's agricultural background, where farmers would pray to the Earth God for a good season. At the end of the harvest they would again worship the Earth God to offer their gratitude. This was known as the autumn reward. Many people believe that the Mid-Autumn festival originated from this custom.
There is also a legend about an archer named Hou Yi, who saved the people of China from a severe drought that was causing the earth to crack and trees to wither. He rode up to Mount Kunlun and shot down 9 of the 10 suns that had appeared in the sky. He immediately became a hero and later the king of China
One day, upon visiting his friend on Mount Kunlun, Hou Yi ran into the Queen Mother of the West, who gave him an elixir of immorality that would allow him to rise to heaven where he would become a saint. Hou Yi could not bear leaving his wife, Chang'e, so he gave her the elixir for safe keeping. However Peng Meng, one of Hou Yi's courtiers, who was a very jealous and greedy person saw where Chang'e had hid it.
Peng Meng plotted to steal the elixir. One day while the king was out, he entered Chang'e room and demanded that she hand over the elixir. Chang'e knowing that she could not face the stronger Peng Meng, took the elixir and placed it in her mouth as she ran away from him. Immediately her body became light and she began to float up to the sky. As she was concerned about her husband, she landed on the moon, the heavenly body nearest to earth.
When Hou Yi came home, he was heartbroken after he learned what had happened. He went to his wife's garden and built an altar for her. There, he placed Chang'e's favourite foods and fresh fruits as offerings to his wife on the moon.
This story is said to represent the idyllic world of peace and freedom in heaven, far away from the human world and its turmoil.
This is how in ancient times people in China began to offer food to the moon goddess, which included moon cakes, grapes and watermelons.
Keeping with the theme of family and celebration, the Divine Performing Arts' Mid Autumn Spectacular is a perfect show for family and friends to celebrate the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. With the depicting of heavenly beauties and divine tales, it will leave you feeling like you have touched a piece of heaven.
Please join us in celebrating this special holiday on September 27-28th at the Toronto Centre of the Arts, located at 5040 Yonge Street. For ticket information please call Ticket hotline at (416)248-1168 or Ticket Master at (416)872-1111.
Highly acclaimed for its sold out global tour of NTDTV's 2007 Chinese New Year Spectacular , the Divine Performing Arts Troupe has attracted more than 200 000 people in more than 30 cities around the world by showcasing authentic Chinese traditional performances through classical Chinese dance, vocal performances, and many more.
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