Recommended sites for admiring full moon - Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Now in early September, a special traditional dessert, mooncake, is flooding in the market in stalls, shops, supermarkets…and people work away from home are making plans to go home for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, comes each year on lunar calendar August.15th. This year, it falls on Monday, Sept.8th, but people have the day off because it is a public holiday in China. Therefore, we have a three-day vacation for the festival from Sept.6th to Srpt.8th.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is the most traditional festival in China just second to Spring Festival. To admire the beautiful full moon is the highlight of this festival. According to Chinese people, it is recommended to do it outdoors especially on a high site to obtain a broad vision. If you are just lucky in China during the festival, you can check the following most famous sites to admire the full moon on that day.

Beijing Shichahai Lake – admire the moon on boats

Shichahai Lake is the sole open type scenic area offering night cruise in Beijing. It is crowned as the best site for admiring the moon on Mid-Autumn Day in Beijing due to its wide water area. The sculling boats there imitate the styles in the famous Chinese painting Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival created in Song Dynasty (970-1279). Each sculling boat can hold about 10-16 people, suitable for family reunion. It is no doubtable a great pleasure to sightsee Houhai Lake on the water and taste the traditional delicious delicacy mooncakes when enjoying the glorious full moon in the sky. This year, the scenic area additionally offers new activities during the period, new built landscape Tuye’er Hill, classical ceremony to worship the moon, magnificent aquashow, fancy dinner…

Guilin Li River – the moon on the water

When the Mid-Autumn Day’s night comes, the round snow-white moon hangs high in the sky, it is absolutely romantic to ride a boat into the Water Moon Cave, a cave between the “trunk” and the “body” of Elephant Hill, to appreciate the ingenious sight- “cool moon” floating on the water.

As a matter of fact, people also can enjoy a changing “moon” in Yangshuo County of Guilin- the famous Moon Hill with a moon-shape hole in a rock. It is a popular destination among rock climbing fans. At the foot of the hill, there is a road for admiring the beautiful “moon”, which will change from crescent to full moon with your changing locations.  

Anhui Yellow Mountain – pure moon

The beauty of Mt. Huangshan, or Yellow Mountain in autumn is colorful but pure. Huangshan Mountain is all tinged with enthralling view during Mid-Autumn Festival when other places in South China are just stepping in the early autumn. At nightfall, the gently climbing moon is even brighter and clearer when it is enveloped by gauze-like mountain mist. The moon is so pure, which is promoted by ambient tranquil. No matter roam on mountain road or just sit on the mountain top to sip a glass of wine, you will be unconsciously intoxicated in this pure silver world. 

Sichuan Mount Emei – a moon hung on top of the Golden Summit

Mt. Emei is hailed as “the best site for admiring the moon on Mid-Autumn Day” for many years. The sea of clouds of Emei Mountain is unforgettable for most tourists. It you are located in the Golden Summit, you will see the clouds underfoot, if you are in Xianfeng Temple, clouds are overhead, while in Huayan Summit, you are in the clouds. Then, how can you imagine the dream-like scene when such amazing clouds combine with the bright moon?

Standing on the top of Mt. Emei is like in a wonderland, the expanse sky seems nearer, the chilly moon light is the same. No wonder Chinese people often say that the moon is exceptionally bright at the night of Mid-Autumn Day. 

Hong Kong Victoria Peak & Victoria Park – romantic moon

In Hong Kong, many people choose Victoria Peak to spend the night of Mid-Autumn Festival. The peak is the most captivating commanding height in the city and believed to possess the most famous night scene in the world along with that in Japan’s Hakodate and Italy’s Neaples. However, more local people choose Victoria Park to spend the special night. Every Mid-Autumn Festival night, tens of thousands people come to the park to enjoy dazzling lanterns, and when the moon rise up, they sit on the lawn, peacefully enjoy the warm and sweet hours.  

--- By April (VisitOurChina)