September— November, 2008
SACS’ NEWSLETTER
Shenzhen Asian Cultural Society
Chinese Film Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions
Memoirs of Longgang and Dapeng Fortress
Upcoming Trips and Events
Page 2 SACS Newsletter Contents Happenings in Autumn
Mid-Autumn Festival at the NanHai Hotel The Growth of Chinese Cinema … 3 Come and join us on September 14 for a deli- Upcoming Trip:Guangzhou … 6 cious meal and entertainment to celebrate this
Film Festival Information … 7 traditional Chinese holiday.
LongGang Highlights Tour … 10
Background File: The Hakka People ,,, 12
Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions … 14
Lecture Series: The Evolution of Shenzhen … 17
Shenzhen Asian Culture Society (SACS)
Shenzhen Asian Culture Society (SACS) is a non- profit organization working to strengthen relation- ships, promote understanding and provide cultural enrichment for the Shenzhen community. We seek to increase knowledge, enhance dialogue, encour- age creative expression and generate new ideas across the fields of Asian culture, encompassing History, the Arts, Economics and Education. We SACS 1st Annual Film Festival welcome both local and expatriate members.
Every Friday from September 26 to October 24, 深圳亚洲文化协会简介 SACS will be screening some well-known and 深圳亚洲文化协会是一个非盈利机构，宗旨是增强交 critically acclaimed Chinese films, with discus- 往，促进彼此了解和丰富深圳社区文化生活。我们致 sion to follow. (Film reviews and titles in this 力于亚洲习俗文化，历史，艺术，经济和教育领域， issue.) Food and beverages will be available to purchase. At QSI International School of Shekou 不断地推广文化知识，加强沟通合作和鼓励艺术创 8 Tai Zi Road (next door to Park „n‟ Shop); 7 pm. 新。我们欢迎本地和外国的朋友加入我们的协会 The SACS newsletter is published four times a year Dim-Sum Lunch (March, June, September and December). To submit news
and/or articles to the SACS newsletter, please contact the editor, Kate Connelly: [email protected] Laurel Restaurant, Portofino, Sunday, October 26. Delicious food plus the opportunity to hear For current information about events, memberships and a local business woman, Linda Lee, speak on the calendar of events, visit our website: subject of Chinese Banquet Etiquette. http://www.shenzhenacs.com/index.html
For information about advertising in this publication, please contact Clement Tan: [email protected]
Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 3
The Growth of Chinese Cinema Welcome to the Autumn Issue By “Author Unknown” of the SACS Newsletter
No matter its target audience, cinema is always re- Now we‘re talking—well, everyone‘s talk- flective of the local culture and historical/current social con- ing—about the first SACS Chinese Film text of the area it‘s produced in. One excellent example of Festival. For five consecutive Fridays this is the continual change, growth, and development ex- (September 26-October24) SACS is perienced by Chinese cinema over the past century. From pleased to offer you a night at the movies— its origins during the early 1900s, to its widespread use as a with popcorn, candy bars, and all the things political tool by China‘s communist regime in the 1950s-60s, movie night should have. The films are in and its modern incarnation as a collective body of three dis- Mandarin with good English subtitles. The tinct ―schools‖ (Mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), Chi- location is QSI International School, the nese cinema has undergone quite a transformation. How- cost is: FREE. So be there or be square. ever, it has always acted as a direct reflection of Chinese culture and the social conditions that were present at the IN this issue, you can also read about the time a film was produced. SACS trip to Longgang, Mid-Autumn Festi- val traditions, Chinese Banquet Etiquette Film was first introduced to the Chinese mainland in 1896, and so much more. as a very basic, fundamentally ―Western‖ form of art. Since early cinema‘s subjects were nearly always based on dis- Enjoy the newsletter and, ―see you in the tinctly western characters or stories (such as plays by movies!‖ Shakespeare or even popular fiction novels like the ―Hardy Boys‖ series), cinema released during this time retained a Kate ―foreign‖ feel that could not connect to a mainstream Chi- nese audience. Continued, page 4
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The Growth of Chinese Cinema, continued By “Author Unknown”
However, after roughly two decades, Chinese interest in film be- gan to peak – especially among private industrialists hoping to use film-making as a profitable enterprise. By 1917, the Depart- ment of Motion Pictures was founded by the ―Commercial Press.‖ Within four years, it had completed production on the first solely Chinese-produced feature-length film; then, in 1923, construction was completed on China‘s very first film studio. Political parties soon began to notice cinema‘s potential as a propaganda tool; by 1932, the Communist Party formally launched the MingXing Film Company in Shanghai. For the next two decades, film‘s presence in China slowly developed and expanded its appeal.
In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party defeated the Kuomintang (KMT) and established China as a communist state. This marked a turning point in Chinese cinema. During this time period, films were made almost solely for use as propaganda for ―political education‖. Films frequently depicted well-fed, jovial, and cheering peasants praising the successes of the Communist Revolution and celebrating their new, plentiful lives. These ―educational‖ films were entirely based on the films of China‘s Soviet counter- parts/fellow Communists. Thus, themes of revolutionary fervor, class struggle, and the illumination of Com- munism in a positive light were consistent themes. Films from countries other than the Soviet Union were banned completely from the Chinese market. This had the unpredicted benefit of allowing for a greater flow of nationally produced Chinese films. An interesting fact to note is that the birth of communism in 1949 marked a guillotine point: films showing the Chinese peasant life as difficult were only allowed to be set be- fore this date, since a filmmaker would never want to imply that Communism brought about anything other than positive effects. The use of film for political means in China reached its heyday with the Cultural Revo- lution in 1966; a decade later, however, the Cultural Revolution‘s leaders were arrested and Chinese cin- ema began to evolve along different lines.
Beginning with the so-called ―Fifth Generation‖ of Chinese film-makers, including people such as Chen Kaige (who directed Yellow Earth and Farewell My Concubine) and Zhang Yimou (who has produced mov- ies such as Hero, Not One Less, To Live, and Raise the Red Lantern to name a few), mainland Chinese cinema began to appear on the world map. As a collective group, the ―Fifth Generation‖ tried to explore new and unconventional filmmaking techniques, at once modernizing/internationalizing Chinese cinema. Be- cause of their efforts and subsequent success at achieving their goals, many filmmakers were both disap- proved of by the Chinese government and received only lukewarm appreciation from local Chinese audi- ences. More recently, a new ―Sixth Generation‖ of filmmakers has sprung up. This group of directors in- cludes names like Zhang Yuan (Beijing Bastards), Zhang Yang (Shower), and Wang Xiaoshuai (Beijing Bi- cycles, The Days). These directors have not only showed an pointed interest in a broad range of subjects including prostitution, the lives of migrant workers (Blind Shaft), the gap between the rich and the poor, the loss of culture via China‘s modernization (Shower), etc. but have also further internationalized the Chinese film industry. Interestingly, many of these directors have avoided working with the restrictive State-owned studios, choosing instead to release ―Indie‖ films that allow them to pursue their full creative drive.
While the Mainland‘s cinematic industry has only recently achieved recognition, Hong Kong has had a long history associated with film. Hong Kong‘s film industry initially started up around ten years after the introduc- tion of film in China. Development really took off between the 1930s and 40s for three basics reasons: filmmakers migrated to Hong Kong to circumvent the KMT government‘s policy of producing only Mandarin Chinese films, film became a means of resisting Japanese aggression, and financial resources for produc- tion were readily accessible in Hong Kong . After this spike in development, Cantonese film became even Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 5
more prevalent due to the rise of movie stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and through the efforts of di- rectors like Tsui Hark and Wong Kar-wai. Most Hong Kong films were relatively low-budget, but a few of them managed to tackle the deeper themes of westernization and nationalism. More recently, Hong Kong cinema has acquired its own individual style: a hybrid of the popular entertainment-driven cinema that origi- nally drove the growth of the Cantonese film industry combined with more art-house, substantial fare. But despite all these good efforts, growth has recently slowed and may even be on a decline.
The final division which comprises Chinese cinema is Taiwanese film. Because of the split between the KMT and the Communists during the Chinese revolution, Taiwan‘s film industry grew in a different direction than Hong Kong or mainland Chinese cinema. Beginning in World War II, the occupying Japanese forces founded the ―Taiwan Motion Picture Association.‖ This later combined with another studio, the ―Taipei News Picture Association,‖ resulting in the Taiwan Film Studio. When the KMT and Communists broke ranks in 1949, a significant number of directors, producers, and organizations moved to Taiwan – establishing a firm foundation for future growth. Over the next few decades, the film industry grew constantly, reaching a peak during the 1970s. Recently however, the industry has declined due to increasing govern- ment restrictions and rising production costs. Nonetheless, several Taiwanese directors have gained international rec- ognition, including Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Lust, Cau- tion ) and Hou Shiao-hsien. While Tai- wanese directors have pursued a wide variety of topics, some frequent themes of Taiwanese film are feminist perspec- tives regarding the adversity women face, the beauty of country life, and the status quo relationship Taiwan enjoys with Mainland China.
As the three schools of Chinese cinema have started to gain international critical acclaim, they have also begun working together – blending together various styles to form a new unique ―Chinese‖ feel. One such example is the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for which a Taiwanese director used Mainland and Cantonese actors.
Mainland Chinese, Cantonese, and Tai- wanese films all continue to maintain their own respective subtleties, all the while expanding in terms of artistic growth. As a whole, and despite regional differences, Chinese cinema has estab- lished itself as a consistent source of good films. Page 6 SACS Newsletter
COMING SOON GuangzhouTrip
Captivating Guangzhou November 22-23
Let SACS show you Guangzhou's most intriguing places on this weekend tour. Highlights include a visit to Shamain Island to explore the colonial past and to enjoy a dim sum feast, then a visit to the fascinating QingPing Market to learn about Chinese Traditional Medicine, followed by a visit to the breathtaking Chen Family Academy which is also home to the Guang- dong Folk Art museum, where you can see people producing many handicrafts, including enameling, em- broidery, porcelain, lacquer work and paper cutting.
We will also visit the impressive Western Han Dy- nasty Mausoleum of the Hanyue King which dates back 2,100 years! Next we will travel to the Panyu District to the Safari themed Chime Long Hotel with its white tiger and flamingo atriums. After dinner we will have the opportunity to see the amazing Chime Long International Circus reputed to be the world's largest and some say the best.
On Sunday after breakfast we will visit the Lianhua Pagoda (c. 1612) and the famous lotus pond with its huge Bodhisattva Guanyin statue. The tour will con- tinue to the peaceful and secluded Qing Dynasty era YuYin Garden. After lunch we will stop by Phinn's Antiques where owner Lorna Yang will give us the low down on Chinese Antique Furniture.
The tour will return to Shenzhen around 6pm.
The tour includes: l Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach l English Speaking Tour Guide l Hotel (5 star) accommodation based on twin share l Meals: Lunch (2), Breakfast (1) and Dinner (1) l All Entrance Fees l Taxes and gratuities
Cost : to be determined but should be approximately RMB 1500 p/p, Single Supplement RMB 500.
Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 7
SACS 1st Annual Chinese Film Festival
Every Friday between September 26 and October 24, 7:00 pm, at QSI Inter- national School. Optional discussion to follow.
Admission is FREE. (Donations appreciated…)
Food and beverages available for
September 26 The Emperor and the Assassin (1999) 荊軻刺秦王
Director: Chen Kaige
From the acclaimed director of Farewell, My Concubine comes The Emperor And The Assassin - a visually stun- ning epic exploring the devastating price one country pays for peace and one man pays for power.
Ying Zheng, the king of Qin, has one driving ambition: to unify China's seven kingdoms into one magnificent empire. His lover, Lady Zhao (Gong Li), impressed by her lover's convictions, helps Ying Zheng concoct an assassination plot to justify the conquest of Qin's most powerful enemy.
When Ying Zheng's peaceful mission explodes into a bru- tal holocaust, a disillusioned Lady Zhao is forced to ques- tion her loyalty as well as her lover's destiny. Rating: G
Page 8 SACS Newsletter
October 3 Raise The Red Lantern (1991) 大紅燈籠高高掛
Director Zhang Yimou
陳家大宅主人陳佐千，已年屆五十，娶了三位太太，這次繼而迎 聚了四房太太頌蓮（鞏俐飾）。鸞鳳良宵之夜，整個陳宅都被高 高懸掛的紅燈籠照亮了，而紅燈籠之高掛好象徵著誰是陳老爺愛 寵的對象；紅燈籠成為了喜慶、恩寵、情愛和榮耀的代號。頌蓮 就在這庭院之內與其他的三位太太進行一幕幕的爭寵奪愛、紅顏 相殘的戲。頌蓮在重重壓迫之下，如何面對這命運？
China in the 1920‘s: After her father‘s death, nineteen year old SongLian is forced to marry Chen ZuoQian, the lord of a power- ful family. Fifty-year-old Chen already has three wives, each of them living in separate houses within the great castle. The com- petition – and the political wrangling – amongst the wives is rife: gaining Chen‘s interest is the way to power, status and privi- leges; loss of his affection means complete obscurity. As each wife schemes and plots to ensure his patronage, things get out of hand… Rating: PG
October 10 The Road Home (1999) 我的父親母親
Director: Zhang Yimou
初戀的回憶，是人生中最美妙的感覺。而當生子的父親已經過世，年邁的母 親講述她夢係魂牽的初戀時，生子不但體味到初戀情愫的淒美動人，甚至不 讀出對美妙人生的執著追求。母親乳名招娣，年輕時是遠近聞名的美人，她 暗戀上生子的父親---一個淳樸幽默的青年教師。她的美麗和誠然打動了青年 駱老師的心，他們浪溫又傳統的相愛了。兩人一學就是四十年，相濡以沫， 心心相印。 丈夫的葬禮後，年邁的招娣在悲慟中又聽到了世界上最好聽的聲音，那是駱 老師自編的”識字歌；……在她眼前，又出現年輕盈巧的招娣穿著碎花紅襖 雀躍在讓她走不完初戀的那一條小路上。
A middle-aged engineer returns to the village of his birth after his father's death. His mother insists that all the old rituals be observed, including hand- carrying the body the many miles back from the city hospital morgue to the village so the deceased will know "the road home." This is the story of how his parents -- an 18-year-old farm girl and a somewhat older teacher sent to the village by the government -- met and fell in love in 1955.
This film was Ziyi Zhang‘s debut. It‘s an intensely romantic film, with no sex or nudity. Note how the landscape, sea- sons, light -- the sound of vegetables being chopped, the chanting of children's voices in school -- are central ‗characters‘ of the film. Rating: PG Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 9
October 17 A World Without Thieves (2004) 天下無賊
Director :Fung Siu Kong
以偷竊及詐騙為生的扒手情侶王薄 (劉德華) 和王麗 (劉若英)，因王麗厭 倦此種生活意欲隱退，兩人因此反目。在火車上兩人巧遇戇直農民傻根 (王 寶強)，帶著六萬元儲蓄回鄉。其淳樸性格打動王麗，決意沿途保護她，力 阻王薄覬覦傻根儲蓄。豈料火車上剛好另一偷竊集團，為首的彪叔 (葛優) 決意率眾染指這筆鉅款，王麗為了不讓傻根得悉真相，唯有見招拆招；王薄 不甘認輸，亦為了王麗而毅然接受挑戰。在貪念與純真之間，雙方在狹窄的 車廂中展開一幕幕的暗戰。然而車中竟然臥虎藏龍，火車到站一刻仍未能分 出高下
Wang Li (Rene Liu) and Wang Bo (Andy Lau) and should be the perfect Bonnie and Clyde: the former a femme fatale from Taiwan, the latter a sea- soned con man and master pickpocket from Hong Kong. Partners in crime and passion, the couple con their way across China, until one fine day Li suddenly decides to put an end to both to her life of crime and to her entanglement with Bo. It is at this crossroads in their lives and relationship that they run into Fu Gen in a train station, an encounter that will alter their fate forever. Rating: PG-13 October 24 Shower (1999) 洗澡
Director: Zhang Yang
加拿大多倫多電影節、國際影評人聯盟大獎、西班牙聖塞瓦斯蒂安電影節、 最受觀眾歡迎大獎、荷蘭鹿特丹電影節、最受觀眾歡迎大獎、美國西雅圖斯 蒂安電影節最佳電影獎及最佳導演獎、意大利馬迪內亞洲電影節、最受觀眾 歡迎大獎、比利時電影節、最受觀眾歡迎大獎……以上各國及南韓、阿根 廷、俄羅斯、捷克、波蘭等共16個國際電影節誠邀參展……
Zhang Yang's family comedy-drama tells a simple and familiar story. After misinterpreting a message from his retarded younger brother Er Ming (Jiang Wu) to mean that their father (Zhu Xu) is dying, slick businessman Da Ming (Pu Cun Xin) comes down from the north to visit them. While he finds his father to be in good health and running the village bathhouse as smoothly as ever, other circumstances force Da Ming to extend his visit longer than planned. In spending time with his own family, and the second family that is the bathhouse's regular customers, Da Ming learns that there's something valuable in this simple life--perhaps more valuable than the material life he had been leading.
Shower is predictable and wears its heart on its sleeve, but that's part of its charm. Though while the film is unabash- edly sentimental, Zhang doesn't feel the need to bash the audience over the head with melodramatic tactics. He sim- ply lets the emotion of the story come through in the performances, and the actors succeed wonderfully. Rating: G Page 10 SACS Newsletter
middle house. Small yards or lanes between the hori- Longgang Highlights Tour zontal houses provide the traffic network inside the By Rita Kelly enclosed compound.
On Saturday 21st June, a group of 30 people went on Around the ancestral temple in the centre of the com- a very interesting tour to visit the Hakka Folk Cus- pound, are pavilions, towers, halls, lobbies, cham- toms Museum & Dapeng Fortress in Longgang, bers, wells, courtyards and passageways of different Shenzhen. The group included couples, friends and architectural styles. The temple uses the typical lay- children. We set out by hired minibus, firstly to the out of residences in North China, proof that the own- Hakka Museum, which is approximately a 1.5 hour ers travelled from there, all the way to the south, to drive from Shekou, in Saturday morning traffic. settle down here. The four-cornered tower housing is in the style of Hakka people from the south of Ji- After driving through the city traffic and modern build- angXi, while the dragon-like walled housing style is ings, it seemed somewhat surreal to arrive outside that of XingMei Hakka people, located east of the ancient residence in Longgang town, now the Guangdong. Hakka folk culture museum, which appears strikingly grand. Some of the residences house farm tools and furni- ture left over from the Qing Dynasty. It is enjoyable to Built in 1817, it is the ancestral house of the Luos. stroll around the courtyards and look at some of the (The village was formerly called Luo Rui He village) old equipment and farming tools on display. The resi- The buildings are squarely enclosed, with walls as dence was put on Guangdongs‘s list of protected his- thick as 1 metre and 6 metres high; there is a moon torical sites in 2002. pool and a threshing floor at their front, and a small hill or flower terrace at the back. There are watchtow- After our visit to the Hakka Museum, it was time for ers at the buildings' four corners. Along the top of the lunch. We drove to Nan‗ao town, located in the pic- walls are patrol courses with portholes. The inner turesque Dapeng bay where we settled into a sea- buildings are symmetrical, with three central houses food lunch, fresh from the nearby harbour! The sea and two horizontal houses at their core. Each house here is said to be teeming with rare sea animals in- is independent and well concealed. The houses gen- cluding sea urchin and abalone. erally have one story and occasionally two stories in the principal or central house. Sometimes a half-story After lunch, we made our way to Dapeng Fortress in tower building is added to the principal room of the east Longgang. On the way we passed Daya Bay Nuclear power plant, China‘s first and largest Nuclear power plant, built in 1994 at a cost of $5 billion, using mainly French technology.
Arriving outside the fortress, you find yourself several centuries removed from modern Shenzhen. This well- preserved walled town dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was originally built in 1394 to resist Japanese pirates who'd been harass- ing the southern coastal areas of Guangdong. This military base safe- guarded an area that now covers Hong Kong and east of Shenzhen.
On Sept. 4, 1839, five British naval vessels launched a surprise attack on the Chinese maritime forces at Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 11
Dapeng Fortress, in the waters off Kowloon. Chinese troops in fish- ing boats, led by General Lai En- jue, defeated the better-equipped enemy. The Kowloon naval battle is now widely considered the start of the Opium Wars.
Not long after the battle, Lai was promoted to commander of the Guangdong navy. In 1844, the emperor allocated a large sum to build a 2,500-square-meter house and inscribed "Zhenwei General Mansion" on the board above the gate. The stately Lai Mansions have since been one of the big- gest attractions in the fortress.
The complex structures at the general's house fea- After spending the afternoon wandering through the ture painted carved beams and columns, with many town and admiring its various characteristics, we couplets posted on the door. The high level of archi- departed for Shekou. tecture is typical of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Lining both sides of the narrow stone streets are It was a very interesting and enjoyable tour, with a residential buildings featuring black tiles and exqui- great group of people. Having previously heard site carvings on the window panels and eaves, com- many times that Shenzhen had so little to offer in pleting the unique rural scenery. terms of sightseeing, these two places are real gems and well worth a visit. The fortress has survived natural and civilian disas- See page 13 for travel information ters for 600 years. Three gates of the fortress, Gen- eral Lai and his clan's mansions, General Liu Qilong's mansions, Tianhou Palace, Houwang Tem- ple and Zhaogong Temple are all still in good condi- tion. The fortress compound contains homes, tem- ples, shops and courtyards that look pretty much the same as when they were built centuries ago. It occu- pies an area of 110, 000 sq meters with a rectangu- lar plan.
The Tomb of Zhenwei General (who Manifests Might) Lai Enjue is located in Wangqitang Village of Dapeng Town. Lai Enjue was originally buried in Da- kangshang Village. His remains were moved to their present resting place in the third Year of the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty.
For people tired of the bustling metropolis, this place provides a relaxing environment and the top of the southern gate of the Fortress offers a clear view of the sea.
Page 12 SACS Newsletter
Who are the Hakka? Some general background knowledge to enhance your trip:
Compiled by Rita Kelly
The Hakka (Mandarin: Kèjiā, 客家), a subgroup of the Han Chinese people, live predominantly in the prov- inces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, and Fujian in China. Their ancestors are said to have arrived from what is today's central China, centuries ago.
During the reign of Emperor Qing Kangxi, the coastal regions were evacuated by imperial edict for almost a decade, due to the danger posed by the remnants of the Ming court who had fled to what is now Taiwan. When the threat was eliminated, the Kangxi Emperor issued an edict to re-populate the fertile coastal re- gions. To aid the move, each family was given money to begin their new lives; newcomers were registered as "Guest Families" (客戶, kèhù).
They later also migrated overseas to various nations throughout the world. The Hakka have had a significant influence on the course of Chinese and overseas Chi- nese history. Some well known Hakka descendants are Actress Fann Wong (Singaporean) and the former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Due to their agrarian lifestyle, the Hakka have a unique architecture based on defense and communal living and a hearty savory cuisine based on an equal balance of meat and fresh vegetables. Unlike the majority of other Han Chinese women, Hakka women did not practice foot binding.
Their distinctive earthen houses (tulou) make up their communal entities, which are made of compacted earth, bamboo, wood and stone, are fortified against marauding bandits. Glutinous rice and sugar boiled with water were used as glue to hold the building mate- rials together. They contain many rooms on several stories, so that several families can live together. Tulou come in a variety of styles and can be circular, triangu- lar, rectangular, octagonal or other shapes.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka
Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 13
If you missed the SACS trip and would like to visit Dapeng Fortress and the Hakka Folk Museum on your own, here is some specific travel information:
Hakka Folk Customs Museum and Enclosures & The Crane Lake New Residence Address: Luoruihe Village, Longgang Township, Shenzhen Phone: 0755/28835108. Cost: RMB20. Open: Daily 10am-6pm.
Dapeng Fortress Address: Pengcheng Village, Dapeng Town. Phone: 0755/84319269. Cost RMB20. www.szdpsc.com Open 10am-9pm
Dapeng Ancient Town Pengcheng Village, Dapeng Town, Longgang District, Shenzhen Admission Fee RMB 20 Tel. 755 8431 7178 Bus 360. 364 then by special line bus route No.. 818
Page 14 SACS Newsletter
Mid-Autumn Festival Mythology
In remote antiquity, there were ten suns rising in the sky, which scorched all the crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi , very concerned about this state of affairs, climbed up Kunlun Mountain and, drawing his extraordinary bow, he shot down the nine superflu- ous suns one after another. He then ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason, he was respected and loved by the people, who came to him to learn about archery and martial arts. One of these ‗students‘ was named Peng Meng. Hou Yi also had a beautiful and kind- hearted wife named Chang E.
One day, on his way to the Kunlun Mountain, Hou Yi met the Empress of Heaven, Wang Mu. Em- press Wang Mu gave him a magical potion which would allow Hou Yi to would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being. Hou Yi, however, hated to part with his wife, so he left the potion in Chang E‘s care. She hid the parcel in a treasure box on her dressing table. Unfortunately, Peng Meng once caught a glimpse of it.
One day, when Hou Yi was hunting with his students, Peng Meng, sword in hand, forced Chang E to hand over the potion. But Chang E, thinking quickly, decided instead to take the potion. As soon as she swallowed it, her body floated off the ground and out of the bedroom window, and flew to- wards heaven. Peng Meng ran away.
When Hou Yi returned home from the hunt and learned what had happened to Chang E, he was overcome with grief. He raised his voice to heaven, calling out his wife‘s name. Even in his grief- stricken state, he noticed that the moon was full, and especially clear and bright. On it, was a sway- ing shadow that was exactly like his wife. He tried his best to chase after the moon, but his efforts were fruitless.
Hou Yi could not stop thinking of his wife so he had an altar arranged in the garden that Chang E had loved so much. He loaded the table with sweetmeats, fresh fruit and other delicacies and, at a distance, held a memorial ceremony for his beloved wife. Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 15
Mid-Autumn Festival — Practices
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in October in the Gre- gorian calendar, but this year on September 15th. But what‘s the story behind it? Well, the emperors in an- cient China offered sacrifices to the sun in Spring and to the moon in Autumn. Of course there is plenty of folklore surrounding this festival…. But the story of Hou Yi and Chang E is not the only myth surrounding this festival.
Some people say that the story has to do with the day the ―Man in the Moon‖ carried a writing tablet into a tavern. The people there asked what he was writing and he answered that he was recording the names of all the happy couples whose fate it would be to marry and live happily ever after – one reason why so many Chinese weddings are held during the 8th lunar month.
Or, there is the story from history: When the Chinese overthrew their Mongol oppressors in 1368 CE, they felt that moon cakes, something the Mongols did not eat, would be a perfect hiding place for secret mes- sages and instructions relating to the rebellion. Then, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Chinese families ate all the moon cakes, thus destroying all the evidence! (One wonders if this is the origin of ―fortune cookies‖ – a treat unknown in China but dearly loved in Chinese restaurants all over the US – and their secret mes- sages…)
Nowadays, people celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival arrange altars and pray to the kindhearted Chang E for peace and good fortune.
Of course, China is a vast county and different regions have different customs, but what is common to all is that they must show their love and longing for a better life; and they will invariably enjoy moon cakes, in honor of the gentle Chang E. Giving baskets of fruit as gifts is another hallmark of this time of the year
The moon is full on the 15th day of each lunar month. The Chinese originally selected the 8th lunar month, because it is a season when the crops and fruits are all ripe – a sort of harvest festival – and they can usu- ally count on pleasant weather. This is important because the Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally cele- brated outdoors, with the family gathered around a sumptuously laden table, admiring the full moon.
Page 16 SACS Newsletter
. Number 2, September—November 2008 Page 17
Lecture Series: periences in the city. The Evolution of Shenzhen This four part series — an initiative of local an- Mary Ann O‘Donnell thropologist Mary Ann O‘Donnell — will be de- signed to introduce the dreams and some of the Thirty years ago, Deng Xiaoping desig- dreamers that have fueled Shenzhen's mind- nated Shenzhen a Special Economic Zone in boggling rise from fishing village to China's fourth order to improve the standard of living in China city. The series will include lectures and discus- by reforming the planned economy and open- sion with Chi- ing to the capitalist West. Most migrants to nese film- Shenzhen have shared that dream. Indeed, makers, mi- early on, many migrants spoke of the grants, and "Shenzhen Dream" in terms that consciously others on the echoed the "American Dream". However, subject of the Shenzheners have built a city that has not only ideals that exceeded those original dreams, but also re- have shaped defined them. In terms of urban planning, life- the construc- style, and social mobility, they have built what tion and devel- is considered the most "middle class" city in opment of the China, where what unites people is not a com- city. mon dream, but the fact of dreaming. Impor- tantly, like many Americans, Shenzheners see
inequality in their pursuit of dreams, but in- For additional information about this upcoming event, stead focus on individual effort and the scheduled for late November, please check the SACS web- strength of desire when speaking of their ex- site: http://www.shenzhenacs.com/index.html
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