THE Mid-Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival usually comes and goes quietly but with its own style.
This year, the Festival came with a bang amidst various events, reflecting the chaotic and shadowy state of the land – both in the peninsula and our Fairland Sarawak.
The city was busy with different political parties trying to outdo one another in organising festive and social activities – each claiming theirs attracted a bigger crowd than the others.
It is a noble act to boost the economy and bring life to the otherwise quiet streets caught up in the throes of a business downturn.
My friend went to one of the city celebrations in high spirit but was fuming when he related to me the ignorance of a leader from a Chinese-based party who said: “The Lantern Festival is just a joyful occasion for the children to play lanterns and eat mooncakes – apart from being a festive occasion for cultural exchange.”
Somewhat perplexed, my friend couldn’t help asking: “Isn’t there more to the Mooncake Festival than just that.”
Indeed, there is. The history of this auspicious Festive Celebration tells of heroes who raised a rebellion to free the people from bondage – with mooncakes playing a central role.
It was at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) that the people, faced with the unbearably cruel governing, rose up against the government.
Leader of the rebellion movement Zhu Yuanzhang set out to organise a revolt by uniting the various resisting forces. However, delivering messages to these forces at this precarious time was extremely difficult.
Zhu’s military counsellor, Liu Bowen came up with a brilliant idea. He ordered his subordinates to hide paperslips with the message – Uprising on August 15 – written on them in mooncakes.
The mooncakes were then distributed among insurrectionary armies at different places, asking them to support the uprising on the night of August 15.
When the day came, all the insurrectionary armies converged to participate in the uprising. Dadu (Beijing) was captured.
When news of the successful uprising reached Zhu Yuanzhang and the people, they were so happy that they decided to commemorate the victory by celebrating the upcoming Mid Autumn Festival, and ordered the mooncakes, used for hiding the paperslips, to be distributed.
To my friend, the custom of eating mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival goes deeper than the hubbub of merry-making. This is felt most in times when the land needs healing more than ever.
From the perspective of its origin, the Mooncake Festival is about the upsurge of people power and reformation, and mooncakes gained immense significance when used as a communication medium to overthrow a corrupt government.
A few days after the Festival was launched in Kuching, a Chinese clan association in Sibu marked the celebration with the eye-dotting (dian jing) of Chang-e, a mythical figure of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This is ludicrous! Eye-dotting tradition is practised to “awaken the spirit of the lion or dragon”used in lion and dragon dance performances.
The dotting of the eyes is to bring life force and power to the “lion” and dragon” and offer prayers to the deities to bestow divinity upon these creatures to bring peace to the community.
According to Chinese folklore, Chang-e lived in the moon after drinking an elixir – a medicine that could prolong life indefinitely – in her effort to prevent the elixir from falling into the hands of her husband’s evil student.
Chinese legends also tell of 10 suns in the sky that burned all the plants on the Earth and people were dying. Chang-e’s husband Hou Yi used his bow and arrows to shoot down nine of the suns and saved the earth.
The elixir was a gift from a queen of heaven that could make Hou Yi an immortal.
Apparently, for cheap publicity stunt and in trying to be different, some politicians or associations have resorted to ridiculous gimmicks and made themselves a laughing stock, not to mention misleading the young ones!
To mark the occasion, China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang said: “In China, the Mooncake Festival is also known as Tuan Yuan which means reunion. And we wish that all Malaysians will remain united.”
On that happy note, he went to Petaling Street (aka Chinatown) to lift the spirit of Chinese trading there.
After the walkabout, a reporter asked Dr Huang: “If there is a massive anti-Chinese riot in Malaysia, will the Chinese government interfere?”
Dr Hwang reportedly replied: “The Chinese government has always pursued peaceful co-existence and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
“But if such a situation occurs and it affects Chinese interests, Chinese people and Chinese enterprises, undermine good diplomatic ties, China will not sit idle. For the past 66 years, our diplomats have been repeating this statement. It is our universal value.”
A statement like this on the eve of a planned red shirt rally at Petaling Street would surely give the Chinese traders there a boost and most Chinese applauded such a statement as a symbolic shield for protection.
For Malaysia, it is naturally taken as interference in the country’s domestic affairs and Dr Hwang was “called in” by the Foreign Ministry for a clarification.
And as if it is not enough, the Tourism Minister and the Foreign Ministry kicked up another row over the question of whether a Deputy Foreign Minister could summons a diplomat!
Some years back on a Mid-Autumn Festival night, calling myself a dreamer in Luang Prabuang, a delightful refuge of last dreamers where time stands still in the gentle stillness and silence under the full moon, I did write:
“Sitting in a riverside restaurant, the dreamer, intoxicated by the beauty of moonlit street and peaceful Mekong, remembered Li Bai’s famous line in Silent Night Longing: Up towards the glorious moon I raise my head. Then lay me down – and thoughts of home arise.”
Forgetting about all the noises, I immersed myself in a song from Youtube by Baru Bian and Brothers. I was told the Ba Kelalan assemblyperson sang this song on the guitar when he visited the mooncake festival at Carpenter street.
Here are the lyrics to the tune of the This Land Is My Land:
“This Land is my Land, this land is your land
From Tanjung Datu to the Lawas Highland
From the Rejang Valley up the Usun Apau
This land was made for you and me.
As I was driving, thru’ the Borneo Highway
I saw below me, the beach of Tanjong Lobang
I saw above me, the peak of Mount Murud
This land was made for you and me.
I’ve roamed and rambled, I followed my footsteps
Through the virgin forests of our mighty mountains
And all around me, a voice was echoing
This land was made for you and me
I followed your low hills down the coastal rivers
Your golden beaches, and the sunny bright waters
As the fog was lifting, a voice was saying
This land was made for you and me
These last two verses were not sung by Baru and brothers, but I think it’s as real as Li Bai’s famous line!
“When the Sun comes shining and I am strolling
The padi fields are waving, the dust clouds rolling
As the sun was setting, a voice was calling
This land was made for you and me.
In the streets of the cities, along the randau-ruai
By the kaki-lima, I see my people gathering
And many are grumbling, and many are wondering
If this land’s still made for you and me.