Greetings from the Mid-Autumn Festival

Starting the second week I arrived in Taiwan, a slow trickle of mooncakes started arriving at my host family's living room table. It started with a simple gift package from a relative in Northern Taiwan, and it eventually turned into an entire stack of sweets piled onto the table's center. 

One of my favorite desserts I’ve tried in Taiwan so far, mooncakes are a traditional Chinese pastry, typically come in a round shape, and are filled with red bean paste and egg yolk (sometimes chocolate or custard in more modern variations). Their arrival at the dinner table symbolized one thing: the Mid-Autumn Festival was nearing in Kaohsiung!

After the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important holiday in Taiwan. It’s always celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, typically in September or October. The legend goes that, after the famous archer Hou Yi shot down 9 of the 10 suns to save Earth, he was given an elixir of immortality. However, his apprentice tried to steal the elixir. In order to stop this, Hou Yi’s wife, Chang’e, drank the elixir herself. The elixir made her fly higher and higher until she stopped on the moon. Since then, during the Mid-Autumn festival, people offer fruit and mooncakes to worship the moon. 

For Taiwanese families, the Mid-Autumn festival also signifies one other thing: barbecue (烤肉)! During the weekend of October 6th, I accompanied my friends to two host family barbecues around Kaohsiung. Families and loved ones gather around fires with chicken, pork, beef, and vegetable skewers to indulge in the tasty meal and spend time together. During my second barbecue, I left slightly early to go on a 10k run with my friend, Trent. We ran up and down the Love River and happened to end up downtown by Pier 2. 

Barbecue, Confucius's birthday celebration, and a run along Love River

After passing the Kaohsiung Music Center, we were weaving through crowds and markets bursting with music, 小吃 (snacks), and families enjoying the cool evening. I love Kaohsiung’s early sunsets because they provide relief from the humid, hot weather. My second favorite part is how the night life comes alive at 5 pm! From night markets to bustling running trails, Kaohsiung past 5:30 pm is a whole new city. On our way back home, Kaohsiung took this evening cheerfulness a step further as the night sky came alive with the sounds and sparks of fireworks. The fireworks eventually died out, leaving the city quiet except for the hum of scooters. However, after experiencing Taiwan in the midst of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I’m only more excited to see what other traditions bring Kaohsiung to life.

Best,

Zara