中文版
Comprising captivating larger-than-life traditional lanterns of our favourite Mid-Autumn characters, step into a celestial wonderland at Wan Qing Yuan with the Memorial Hall’s 10th Mid-Autumn outdoor installation titled Moonlit Legends.
Inspired by the enchanting tales of Wu Gang – the immortal woodcutter, the charming jade rabbits, and the elegant Chang’e, the Memorial Hall becomes the majestic backdrop of the Moon Palace in this outdoor installation. A harmonious blend of tradition and imagination, Moonlit Legends hopes to create a sense of wonder and nostalgia for everyone this Mid-Autumn reunion.
The installation will be on display on the outdoors of the Memorial Hall from 20 August to 15 September 2024, daily from 10am to 9pm.
Please note that the installation will be closed for a private event on 13 Sep from 5pm - 9pm.
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The Legend of Chang’e
In Chinese mythology, Chang'e is the wife of Hou Yi. She became an immortal and ascend to the moon after consuming the elixir of immortality given by the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu).
According to legend, in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, which scorched the earth so severely that people could no longer live. A hero named Hou Yi decided to relieve the people of this suffering and shot down nine of the suns. After saving the people, Hou Yi was rewarded by Xi Wangmu with an elixir. It was said that whoever consumed the elixir would not only gain eternal life but also ascend to the heavens and become an immortal. However, Hou Yi did not want to leave Chang'e, so he hid the elixir.
A deceitful and greedy man named Pang Meng, learned about this and sought to steal the elixir from Hou Yi. On the night of the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, he broke into Hou Yi's home with a sword and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir. In a moment of desperation, Chang'e swallowed the elixir in one gulp.
After consuming the elixir, Chang'e began to float, rising higher and higher, eventually flying towards the moon. Since then, she has resided in the palace on the moon.
The Legend of Wu Gang the Woodcutter
According to legend, there is a tall osmanthus tree on the moon, standing five hundred zhang high. During the Han Dynasty, there was a woodcutter named Wu Gang, who was obsessed with the pursuit of immortality but did not focus on his studies. Angered by this, the Heavenly Emperor punished him by confining him to the Moon Palace, where he was tasked with chopping down the osmanthus tree. The Heavenly Emperor told him, “If you cut down the tree, you will obtain immortality.”
Wu Gang thought this would be a shortcut to immortality, but little did he know that with every strike of his axe, the wounds of the tree would immediately heal. Day after day, Wu Gang's wish to fell the tree remained unfulfilled. Performing this futile task day in and day out was the punishment given to him by the Heavenly Emperor. As a result, Wu Gang continuously chops the osmanthus tree in the Moon Palace, but he is never able to cut it down. It is believed that through the shadows on a full moon, one can still see Wu Gang endlessly chopping the osmanthus tree.
The Legend of the Jade Rabbit
According to legend, there was an immortal who disguised himself as a poor old man and begged for food from a fox, monkey, and a rabbit. The fox and the monkey both offered food to help the old man, but the rabbit had none to give. The rabbit then told the old man, “You can eat me,” and jumped into the fire. Deeply moved by this act of selflessness, the immortal sent the rabbit to the Moon Palace where it became the Jade Rabbit. Since then, the Jade Rabbit has lived in the Moon Palace alongside Chang’e, and it pounds herbs to make the elixir of immortality.