What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

A Celebration of Reunion, Moonlight, and Meaning

When the full moon rises on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, families across China and East Asia gather to celebrate one of the most beloved festivals of the year — the Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhōngqiū Jié).

It’s an evening filled with soft lantern light, sweet mooncakes, and heartfelt reunion. At its core, the festival honours togetherness, gratitude, and the beauty of the full moon as a symbol of completeness.

🌸 A Festival Rooted in Legend

The Mid-Autumn Festival is steeped in myth, most famously the legend of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess.

Long ago, she drank an elixir of immortality and ascended to the moon, forever separated from her husband, Hou Yi, on Earth. Each year, when the moon is at its brightest, he lays out offerings beneath the night sky — a gesture of eternal love and longing.

This story has inspired generations to gaze up at the moon in quiet reflection, no matter where they are in the world.

🥮 Mooncakes and Meaning

At the heart of the celebration is the sharing of mooncakes — round, rich pastries traditionally filled with lotus seed paste, salted egg yolk, red bean, or other regional flavours.

Their shape represents wholeness and reunion, reminding us that even when we’re apart, we remain connected by the same moonlight.

🎑 Traditions and Togetherness

As night falls, streets and homes begin to glow with soft lantern light. Families gather to sip tea, exchange stories, and watch children parade lanterns through courtyards or gardens. The air carries the scent of baked mooncakes, and conversations turn gently nostalgic — honouring loved ones past and present.

In these quiet moments, the full moon becomes a shared mirror, connecting people across time zones and continents. The Mid-Autumn Festival is not just a celebration — it’s a pause for reflection, reunion, and gratitude, wrapped in light and warmth.

🌏 Celebrating in Perth

In cities like Perth, the festival continues to shine in meaningful ways. Across local communities and studios, people come together to share stories, make art, and reconnect with cultural roots.

At Sinology Studio Perth, we honour the festival through hands-on creativity and sensory experience. Participants taste traditional mooncakes, design and craft personalised lanterns, and paint symbolic motifs that express their own connection to tradition.

It's a celebration that bridges past and present — one that invites you to experience Chinese culture not just as a guest, but as a creator.

“The moon waxes and wanes, but our connection to culture stays bright.”

View Our Moon Festival Workshop