Listen to the joy of the Hong Kong people who are celebrating Cung Jau Miss or the Mid-Autumn Festival (Mid Autum Festival) 2010, a feast of creativity, how they honor the fairy tales of their ancestors, and turn them into spirits in the reality of life.
This country can be rich because of the spirit that shines brightly and creativity that never gets bored.
Cung Jau Miss one of the many celebrations in Hong Kong or China in general. It falls on every 15th of the Lunar Calendar, when the full moon appears the biggest of the year in circulation. This year, to coincide on September 22, 2010.
Rituals and various traditions had started several days earlier. Those who have creativity compete to display their latest creations, while those who have money appreciate by buying them.
Like any other traditional celebration, Cung Jau Miss also can not be separated from typical food. Visiting each other and giving each other basket of gifts in the form of various round fruit to accompany yyou know (mooncakes) are the main tradition in this celebration, apart from making colorful lanterns.
Yu Peng The original, according to its history, was made from the ingredients of flour for the pastry skin, lotus seed paste, and duck egg yolk. In its development, until now there are hundreds of variations of moon cakes with various ingredients. Like nuts, fruit, some even made with ingredients ice cream. Even so, the basic form is retained, consisting of two parts; skins and contents.
The price of moon cakes varies according to the type and quality of the ingredients, the difficulty level of the manufacturing technique, as well as the packaging. Hong Kong food business people are always innovative in their packaging / packaging creations, to increase the buying interest of their customers. Primarily, products gift (delivery / giving / souvenir).
No less interesting, is the lantern / lantern lamp festival that is held during Cung Jau Miss. According to historical records, the creation of lanterns has been started by the Chinese since the 5th century, growing rapidly and being competed since the Dinasty Song in the 14th century.
The high creative power typical of the Chinese gave birth to thousands of new forms of lanterns, with their artistic touches and philosophical symbols. Basically, there are three types of lanterns traced from history.
Namely, the iconic lantern (iconic lantern), shadow lantern or rotary lantern (Merry go round), and river lanterns (river lanterns).
Icon lanterns are the most popular, taking the form of various animals, flowers, fruit, or other interesting shapes. The shadow lantern is a transparent paper or cloth covered lamp with a painting of a legend, hero, or goddess. Known since the 7th century (Tang Dynasty).
Meanwhile, river lanterns that originated from the culture of the people of Jiangsu Province since the 12th century (Song Dynasty) are special lanterns dedicated to ancestral spirits. In the form of a lotus flower, or a boat with a candle in the middle, then floated on a river, sea or lake.
I always want to take the time to visit several places where the lantern festival is held. But this time only visited Victoria Park and Star Ferry. In Victoria Park; as usual, apart from the various beautiful forms of lanterns, there was also a stage featuring classic Cantonese opera. Especially for the classical opera spectacle, the audience is always booming, mostly seniors and photographers.
At Star Ferry (Tsim Sha Tsui), this time the theme of Memory Rhapsody Hong Kong, showcases memories of Hong Kong in the 1950s. As rickshaw (pedicab pull), water flask, water faucet model, vegetable seller, to Hongkong noodle shop tempo doeloe. For Hong Kong people who are currently accustomed to being in touch with a modern lifestyle, of course this is very interesting.
Still parts Cung Jau Miss, the Dragon Dance ritual is held throughout the night for three consecutive days before the full moon. But this is only in one place, namely in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay (behind the Library Center). The 67 meter long dragon, made of about 72.000 hundred lit stalks, is carried by 300 special dancers, towards the Tin Hau temple. This ritual is mythified as a ritual to deny kala (a disaster brought by evil spirits / pageblug).
Want to immerse yourself in the Celebration Cung Jau Miss ? Schedule your visit next year, sometime in October, or search on Google-Hong Kong Mid Autum 2011 first. Cung Jau Cik Fai Lok, Happy Mid Autum .. !! (Report: Susie Utomo/ Hong Kong). *
