The Huntington Library

Visiting The Huntington Library Is Always a Treat

Mid-Autumn Moon Celebration 9/29/2015 (Page Two)

Page 1 - Arrival And Getting Started | Page 2 Great Fun With Brian & Jan

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015

Did You Know? - This custom could be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 256 BC) and was more often practiced by the royal class on the Autumnal Equinox. At that time, the custom had no festival background at all.

Later in the Sui (581 - 618 AD) and Tang (618 - 907 AD) dynasties, social prosperity inspired the custom of appreciating the moon on the moon sacrifice ceremony day among common people and the two merged.

The people expressed their faith more liberally than the royal class and so they did not strictly hold their activities on the Autumnal Equinox. So August 15th of the Chinese lunar calendar, the closest full moon day to the Autumnal Equinox, turned out to be a better choice and was set as a fixed festival. This happened in the Tang Dynasty.

By the time of the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127 AD), Mid-Autumn Festival had already become a widely celebrated folk festival.

Through The Woods And Into The Chinese Garden Proper We Go

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The Moon was beautiful!

Did You Know? - This custom could be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 256 BC) and was more often practiced by the royal class on the Autumnal Equinox.

At that time, the custom had no festival background at all. Later in the Sui (581 - 618 AD) and Tang (618 - 907 AD) dynasties, social pro sperity inspired the custom of appreciating the moon on the moon sacrifice ceremony day among common people and the two merged. The people expressed their faith more liberally than the royal class and so they did not strictly hold their activities on the Autumnal Equinox.

So August 15th of the Chinese lunar calendar, the closest full moon day to the Autumnal Equinox, turned out to be a better choice and was set as a fixed festival. This happened in the Tang Dynasty. By the time of the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127 AD), Mid-Autumn Festival had already become a widely celebrated folk festival.

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Food was everywhere!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The sun was setting and the lake was almost without a ripple

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The garden was even more beautiful as the lights came on!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Paul wore his "Cocktail Party Shirt". Thanks to Sue

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Sitting back and enjoying life!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Like a soldier standing at attention!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The Moon was floating over the lake!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The garden is so peaceful!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The reflections in the lake were beautiful!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The moon bridge really had an amazing reflection this evening!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Looking across the lake!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The weeping willows were really weeping!

Did You Know? - Salix babylonica (Babylon willow or weeping willow; Chinese: ??) is a species of willow native to dry areas of northern China, but cultivated for millennia elsewhere in Asia, being traded along the Silk Road to southwest Asia and Europe.

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The water falls were well lighted!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The lake was as smooth as a mirror!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The lights gave the garden a magical appearance

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015

Did You Know? - According to legends, the founder of music in Chinese mythology was Ling Lun at the time of the Yellow Emperor, who made bamboo pipes tuned to the sounds of birds including the phoenix. A twelve-tone musical system was created based on the pitches of the bamboo pipes, and the first of these pipes produced the "yellow bell" (??) pitch, and set of tune bells were then created from the pipes.

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
...and the band played on!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Looking into the lake the reflections were almost perfect!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The "balloon moon" helped light the lake and bridges

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The lights gave off amazing reflections

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
We enjoyed just standing and watching the activities

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
No flash... Just ambient light

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Jan spotted something interesting!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
OK... A small amount of flash

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Paul needed a martini glass to match his "cocktail attire" on this evening!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The moon was right over our head!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
The bamboo walkways were beautiful in the artificial light

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
Interesting Chinese artwork on display!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
More music on our way out of the gardens

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
There were tables to stand at throughout the garden area!

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015
UFO's were everywhere! To avoid them, we headed to Patty's Place

Autumn Moon Festival at the Huntington 9/29/2015

Music: "Imperial Palace Autumn Moon"

Page 1 - Arrival And Getting Started | Page 2 Great Fun With Brian & Jan