"Zhong Qiu Jie", which is alsoknown as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8thmonth of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones tocongregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmonyand luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varietieswith a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run aroundwith their brightly-lit lanterns.
农历八月十五日是中国的传统节日——中秋节。在这天，每个家庭都团聚在一起，一家人共同观赏象征丰裕、和谐和幸运的圆月。此时，大人们吃着美味的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯尽情玩耍。
"Zhong Qiu Jie" probably began asa harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour withlegends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon.
中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰收的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话色彩。
According to Chinese mythology, the earthonce had 10 suns circling over it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together,scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer,Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of lifeto save the people from his tyrannical rule, but his wife, Chang-E drank it.Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girlswould pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
传说古时候，天空曾有10个太阳。一天，这10个太阳同时出现，酷热难挡。弓箭手后翌射下了其中9个太阳，拯救了地球上的生灵。他偷了长生不死药，却被妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此后，每年中秋月圆之时，少女们都要向月宫仙女嫦娥祈福的传说便流传开来。
In the 14th century, the eating ofmooncakes at "Zhong Qiu Jie" was given a new significance. The storygoes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynastystarted by the Mongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes.Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongoliansby the Han people.
在14世纪，中秋节吃月饼又被赋予了一层特殊的含义。传说在朱元璋带兵起义推翻元朝时，将士们曾把联络信藏在月饼里。因此，中秋节后来也成为汉人推翻蒙古人统治的纪念日。
During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368)Chinawas ruledby the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279)were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate therebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowingthat the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes.Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On thenight of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew thegovernment. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D.1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.
在元朝，蒙古人统治中国。前朝统治者们不甘心政权落入外族之手，于是密谋策划联合起义。正值中秋将近，起义首领就命令部下制作一种特别的月饼，把起义计划藏在每个月饼里。到中秋那天，起义军获取胜利，推翻了元朝，建立明朝。今天，人们吃月饼纪念此事。
Mid-Autumn Day 中秋节
Mid-Autumn Day is a traditional festival inChina.Almost everyone likes to eat mooncakes on that day. Most families have a dinnertogether to celebrate the festival. A saying goes, "The moon in yourhometown is almost always the brightest and roundest". Many people wholive far away from homes want to go back to have a family reunion. How happy itis to enjoy the moon cakes while watching the full moon with your familymembers.