The history of the August Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival, and the Mooncake Festival, extends back a few thousand years. It has multiple inspirations, from a celebration of the harvest to an honoring of the moon. There are also multiple traditions associated with their holiday, including the lion dance, the lighting of lanterns, and mooncakes. This year, there was a celebration in Chinatown on Sunday, August 8, and another celebration in Quincy, on Sunday, August 15,
Let's delve into the history of the first five years of public celebrations of the August Moon Festival in Chinatown.
The first August Moon Festival was celebrated in Chinatown on Sunday, August 29, 1970. The event was sponsored by the Chinese community and Boston’s Summerthing program. It was a day-long event, held from 11am-11:30pm, and included about 21 different activities.
The Boston Herald, August 31, 1970, stated “The August Moon Festival, in Chinese Chung Chiao Chieh, commemorates the harvest and is associated with scores of epics and legends.” The Boston Globe, August 31, 1970, also mentioned, “The traditional Chinese festival honors the moon—especially bright at this time of year—and takes advantage of the good weather.” The article continued, “The new Consulate General of the Republic of China reminded the crowd that the original meaning of the festival was ‘struggle for freedom,’ when it was a celebration of the overthrow of the Mongolian dynasty 600 years ago.”
This article also noticed that “All of Chinatown and many other Bostonians turned out to celebrate the first annual August Moon Festival yesterday, People danced in the streets, feasted in the restaurants and watched festivities from doorways and windows.”
During the festival, a few different stages were set up in various parts of Chinatown, each offering different events. The stage on Beach Street, set up in front of the Cathay House at 70 Beach, showcased events including a demonstration of the Lion Dance by members of the Gung Ho Club, as well as a demonstration of gung-fu martial arts by the Bamboo Hut Club. There was also Chinese folk dancing by students from the Quong Kow Junior High School, as well as a chopstick folk dance by Elaine and Julia Shiang. In addition, there was an electronic music program, called ‘Rock: The Mass Way’ by members of the Boston Chinese Youth Association.
The Harrison Avenue stage included a fashion show of community-originated traditional and contemporary Chinese dress, a children’s lantern parade, and the release of 500 helium-filled balloons by the Chinatown Grievance Task Force. On this stage, Mayor Kevin White also presented the trophy for the winner of the afternoon volleyball tournament. The two teams in the volleyball tournament were the Restaurants and the Que Ting, although the name of the winning team wasn’t provided.
On Hudson Street, around 7pm, Mayor White also dedicated and lit the first of 85 pagoda-shaped street lamps, illuminating Chinatown. He was then presented a moon cake. The Boston Herald, August 31, 1970, noted, “Moon-cakes, made of golden pastry and shaped like porkpies, filled with sweet sugared beans, lotus seeds, nuts or ground meat, were given to visitors who included Mayor White, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Joseph Kennedy H.”
The stage at Hudson and Kneeland streets presented Chinese folk songs sung by the MIT Chinese Student Club and members of the Que Sing Music Club played traditional Chinese instruments. Additional events held in various other places in Chinatown included a zoo mobile (with sheep and goats), an earth mobile, a crafts mobile (where parents and children made Chinese lanterns and jewelry), and a block dance.
There was also a showing of the Chinese film Tiao Chin, a sword-swinging drama of ancient China with English subtitles. Plus, they set up a Teahouse of the August Moon, which served tea and mooncakes. In addition, a huge mural, designed by Don Heung, was painted on the side of a building at Beech and Hudson streets depicting a Chinese junk, symbolizing Chinatown, sailing on sweeping waves.
A special birthday celebration was also held during the festival at the China Pearl restaurant, where over 400 people gathered for the 100th birthday of Chin Ong Fung, who had lived and worked in Chinatown since 1897, having managed a laundry for about forty years. The celebrants enjoyed a fifteen-course feast.
The Boston Globe, August 31, 1970, mentioned the reason for his longevity, “To reach his age, he suggested that one should never get excited, but take things calmly—and second, when you eat, eat the best. If he could do it again, he would be a restaurant owner, he said.” What a great sentiment, to eat only the best. Mr. Chin wasn’t even the oldest person at his birthday celebration as his guest, Wong Ong Chew, had celebrated his 100th birthday the prior year.
The second August Moon Festival was held on Sunday, August 29, 1971, and the Boston Herald, August 30, 1971, mentioned, “Popping fire crackers chasing away evil spirits resounded in the blocked-off streets of Boston’s Chinatown yesterday as thousands of persons strolled through the second annual Festival of the August Moon.” The article also stated, that the event was presented by “...the August Moon Festival Committee and other Chinatown groups, along with Mayor White’s Office of Cultural Affairs/Summerthing,..”
The events included a lantern parade, sports events (including a volleyball tournament, basketball, and ping pong), a fashion show, a baby contest, some plywood mural painting, a pastry demonstration, Chinese film and folk dances, and an evening rock concert. There was also a traditional lion dance, and the newspaper reported, “But the event that won the hearts of the children was the dance of the ‘lion,’ done to the fast-paced beat of drums. Some children cried because they couldn’t see through the crowd; others cried when they did see the ferocious looking lion.”
The newspaper also asked a local Chinatown resident about the meaning of the festival. They stated, it “…has many interpretations, many meanings, many customs. But the meaning today is, Have a good time. We hope you will learn something about our culture.’”
In 1972, the local newspapers provided only brief coverage to the August Moon Festival, which was held on August 27. The Boston Herald, August 28, 1972, mentioned that “.., the event heralds the arrival of autumn and the harvest season—a time of plenty and good health and a time to rejoice for the local Chinese community.”
The Boston Globe, August 28, 1972, added, “On the 15th night of every moon on the Chinese lunar calendar, Hon I, sovereign of the sun, is reunited with his wife, Heng O, spirit of the moon.” Some of the activities at the festival included the traditional lion dance (by members of the Chinese Knights Association), a New England Chinese Martial Arts Association demonstration of self defense (with bare fists, lances and broadswords), a Zoomobile (which included an 8 foot python), and a group of five 9 year olds who performed the “Lions Strolling in the Garden in Twilight” dance.
There was much more coverage for the 1973 August Moon Festival which was held on Sunday, August 19. This might be, in part, because the crowds for the festival were said to be double from the previous year. The local newspapers provided some additional insight into the meaning behind the holiday. The Boston Herald, August 19, 1973, stated “According to many legends, the August Moon festival gives thanks for good harvest and good health.”
The Boston Globe, August 15, 1973, went into more detail about the legends behind the holiday.: “A curious bride swallows a charm given as a gift to her husband and then, overcome with guilt and remorse, flees to a distant place. Her husband, after a long search and many hardships, finds her, they reconcile and celebrate their reunion with a lavish gift. The gift is immortality, the bride is Heng O, the husband, Hou I, the distant land, the moon, and the feast, that of the August moon, ..." The article continued, “According to the legend, after her arrival on the moon Heng O was dismayed to find that the celestial body offered a very limited menu—cinnamon and dew. Chilled and tired, she soon developed a racking cough and coughed up the charm which was transformed into a helpful rabbit who showed her how to vary her diet by preparing mooncakes of ground herbs.
For the festival, the streets of Chinatown were closed to traffic and the events include a lion dance, martial arts demonstrations, music, films, a pie-eating contest, calligraphy, a dance, chess demonstrations and the Zoological Society Zoomobile. Master Kwong Ti Fu and the Knights Club performed Kung Fu, with fist fights and battles with double-edged and butterfly swords. Dancers from the Quong Kow School performed while elders from the Kew Sing Music club played on traditional instruments.
The Boston Herald, August 19, 1973, noted, “A focal point of the day for refreshments will be a Teahouse of the August Moon, which will serve tea, coffee, and soft drinks, as well as mooncakes, small filled pastries which are a festival tradition.” The Boston Globe, August 15, 1973, wrote that, “Mooncakes prepared for present day August Moon Festivals are a bit more substantial. Golden brown pastries, they are shaped like a small pork pie and are filled with a mixture of sugared beans, ground lotus or sesame seeds and ducks’ eggs, nuts or meat.”
As for the traditional lion dance, the Boston Herald, August 20, 1973, mentioned “The ‘moo see,’ or traditional lion dance, is a colorful part of the program,..” This year, members of the Chinese Athletic Association, took turns dressing as both ends of the lion, and this included 19 year-old Bobby Goon of Brighton. The newspaper also noted, “The lion comes to the festival to chase away all the old spirits and bring new spirits and good will for all the people.” In addition, “During the moo see, firecrackers are also thrown near the lion to help chase away the old spirits.
That year's Festival was also important as Mayor Kevin White broke ground for the new Pagoda Park, which ended a three year effort by Chinatown to secure a vacant lot under the expressway ramp for use as a playground. They hoped to complete and open the park by October, which would be surfaced for basketball, volleyball, swings, seesaws, and more.
The fifth annual August Moon Festival was held on Sunday, August 11, 1974. The Boston Globe, August 4, 1974, reported that, “The August Moon Festival is a cooperative effort with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the festival’s executive committee is chaired by Fannie Kwan and composed of members of the community: the Chinatown Boys’ Club, the YMCA, the New England Martial Arts Assn., the Gung Ho Club and the Chinese Athletic Club Knights, the Northeastern and Boston University Chinese Foreign Students Club, and the Golden Age Center.” Much of the same events which were held in previous years were conducted once again, including the Teahouse of the August Moon, lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, and music by the Quong Kow and Kew Sings clubs.
The pandemic may have dampened recent celebrations in Chinatown but in the near future, hopefully these great festivities will be held once again.
The first August Moon Festival was celebrated in Chinatown on Sunday, August 29, 1970. The event was sponsored by the Chinese community and Boston’s Summerthing program. It was a day-long event, held from 11am-11:30pm, and included about 21 different activities.
The Boston Herald, August 31, 1970, stated “The August Moon Festival, in Chinese Chung Chiao Chieh, commemorates the harvest and is associated with scores of epics and legends.” The Boston Globe, August 31, 1970, also mentioned, “The traditional Chinese festival honors the moon—especially bright at this time of year—and takes advantage of the good weather.” The article continued, “The new Consulate General of the Republic of China reminded the crowd that the original meaning of the festival was ‘struggle for freedom,’ when it was a celebration of the overthrow of the Mongolian dynasty 600 years ago.”
This article also noticed that “All of Chinatown and many other Bostonians turned out to celebrate the first annual August Moon Festival yesterday, People danced in the streets, feasted in the restaurants and watched festivities from doorways and windows.”
During the festival, a few different stages were set up in various parts of Chinatown, each offering different events. The stage on Beach Street, set up in front of the Cathay House at 70 Beach, showcased events including a demonstration of the Lion Dance by members of the Gung Ho Club, as well as a demonstration of gung-fu martial arts by the Bamboo Hut Club. There was also Chinese folk dancing by students from the Quong Kow Junior High School, as well as a chopstick folk dance by Elaine and Julia Shiang. In addition, there was an electronic music program, called ‘Rock: The Mass Way’ by members of the Boston Chinese Youth Association.
The Harrison Avenue stage included a fashion show of community-originated traditional and contemporary Chinese dress, a children’s lantern parade, and the release of 500 helium-filled balloons by the Chinatown Grievance Task Force. On this stage, Mayor Kevin White also presented the trophy for the winner of the afternoon volleyball tournament. The two teams in the volleyball tournament were the Restaurants and the Que Ting, although the name of the winning team wasn’t provided.
On Hudson Street, around 7pm, Mayor White also dedicated and lit the first of 85 pagoda-shaped street lamps, illuminating Chinatown. He was then presented a moon cake. The Boston Herald, August 31, 1970, noted, “Moon-cakes, made of golden pastry and shaped like porkpies, filled with sweet sugared beans, lotus seeds, nuts or ground meat, were given to visitors who included Mayor White, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Joseph Kennedy H.”
The stage at Hudson and Kneeland streets presented Chinese folk songs sung by the MIT Chinese Student Club and members of the Que Sing Music Club played traditional Chinese instruments. Additional events held in various other places in Chinatown included a zoo mobile (with sheep and goats), an earth mobile, a crafts mobile (where parents and children made Chinese lanterns and jewelry), and a block dance.
There was also a showing of the Chinese film Tiao Chin, a sword-swinging drama of ancient China with English subtitles. Plus, they set up a Teahouse of the August Moon, which served tea and mooncakes. In addition, a huge mural, designed by Don Heung, was painted on the side of a building at Beech and Hudson streets depicting a Chinese junk, symbolizing Chinatown, sailing on sweeping waves.
A special birthday celebration was also held during the festival at the China Pearl restaurant, where over 400 people gathered for the 100th birthday of Chin Ong Fung, who had lived and worked in Chinatown since 1897, having managed a laundry for about forty years. The celebrants enjoyed a fifteen-course feast.
The Boston Globe, August 31, 1970, mentioned the reason for his longevity, “To reach his age, he suggested that one should never get excited, but take things calmly—and second, when you eat, eat the best. If he could do it again, he would be a restaurant owner, he said.” What a great sentiment, to eat only the best. Mr. Chin wasn’t even the oldest person at his birthday celebration as his guest, Wong Ong Chew, had celebrated his 100th birthday the prior year.
The second August Moon Festival was held on Sunday, August 29, 1971, and the Boston Herald, August 30, 1971, mentioned, “Popping fire crackers chasing away evil spirits resounded in the blocked-off streets of Boston’s Chinatown yesterday as thousands of persons strolled through the second annual Festival of the August Moon.” The article also stated, that the event was presented by “...the August Moon Festival Committee and other Chinatown groups, along with Mayor White’s Office of Cultural Affairs/Summerthing,..”
The events included a lantern parade, sports events (including a volleyball tournament, basketball, and ping pong), a fashion show, a baby contest, some plywood mural painting, a pastry demonstration, Chinese film and folk dances, and an evening rock concert. There was also a traditional lion dance, and the newspaper reported, “But the event that won the hearts of the children was the dance of the ‘lion,’ done to the fast-paced beat of drums. Some children cried because they couldn’t see through the crowd; others cried when they did see the ferocious looking lion.”
The newspaper also asked a local Chinatown resident about the meaning of the festival. They stated, it “…has many interpretations, many meanings, many customs. But the meaning today is, Have a good time. We hope you will learn something about our culture.’”
In 1972, the local newspapers provided only brief coverage to the August Moon Festival, which was held on August 27. The Boston Herald, August 28, 1972, mentioned that “.., the event heralds the arrival of autumn and the harvest season—a time of plenty and good health and a time to rejoice for the local Chinese community.”
The Boston Globe, August 28, 1972, added, “On the 15th night of every moon on the Chinese lunar calendar, Hon I, sovereign of the sun, is reunited with his wife, Heng O, spirit of the moon.” Some of the activities at the festival included the traditional lion dance (by members of the Chinese Knights Association), a New England Chinese Martial Arts Association demonstration of self defense (with bare fists, lances and broadswords), a Zoomobile (which included an 8 foot python), and a group of five 9 year olds who performed the “Lions Strolling in the Garden in Twilight” dance.
There was much more coverage for the 1973 August Moon Festival which was held on Sunday, August 19. This might be, in part, because the crowds for the festival were said to be double from the previous year. The local newspapers provided some additional insight into the meaning behind the holiday. The Boston Herald, August 19, 1973, stated “According to many legends, the August Moon festival gives thanks for good harvest and good health.”
The Boston Globe, August 15, 1973, went into more detail about the legends behind the holiday.: “A curious bride swallows a charm given as a gift to her husband and then, overcome with guilt and remorse, flees to a distant place. Her husband, after a long search and many hardships, finds her, they reconcile and celebrate their reunion with a lavish gift. The gift is immortality, the bride is Heng O, the husband, Hou I, the distant land, the moon, and the feast, that of the August moon, ..." The article continued, “According to the legend, after her arrival on the moon Heng O was dismayed to find that the celestial body offered a very limited menu—cinnamon and dew. Chilled and tired, she soon developed a racking cough and coughed up the charm which was transformed into a helpful rabbit who showed her how to vary her diet by preparing mooncakes of ground herbs.
For the festival, the streets of Chinatown were closed to traffic and the events include a lion dance, martial arts demonstrations, music, films, a pie-eating contest, calligraphy, a dance, chess demonstrations and the Zoological Society Zoomobile. Master Kwong Ti Fu and the Knights Club performed Kung Fu, with fist fights and battles with double-edged and butterfly swords. Dancers from the Quong Kow School performed while elders from the Kew Sing Music club played on traditional instruments.
The Boston Herald, August 19, 1973, noted, “A focal point of the day for refreshments will be a Teahouse of the August Moon, which will serve tea, coffee, and soft drinks, as well as mooncakes, small filled pastries which are a festival tradition.” The Boston Globe, August 15, 1973, wrote that, “Mooncakes prepared for present day August Moon Festivals are a bit more substantial. Golden brown pastries, they are shaped like a small pork pie and are filled with a mixture of sugared beans, ground lotus or sesame seeds and ducks’ eggs, nuts or meat.”
As for the traditional lion dance, the Boston Herald, August 20, 1973, mentioned “The ‘moo see,’ or traditional lion dance, is a colorful part of the program,..” This year, members of the Chinese Athletic Association, took turns dressing as both ends of the lion, and this included 19 year-old Bobby Goon of Brighton. The newspaper also noted, “The lion comes to the festival to chase away all the old spirits and bring new spirits and good will for all the people.” In addition, “During the moo see, firecrackers are also thrown near the lion to help chase away the old spirits.
That year's Festival was also important as Mayor Kevin White broke ground for the new Pagoda Park, which ended a three year effort by Chinatown to secure a vacant lot under the expressway ramp for use as a playground. They hoped to complete and open the park by October, which would be surfaced for basketball, volleyball, swings, seesaws, and more.
The fifth annual August Moon Festival was held on Sunday, August 11, 1974. The Boston Globe, August 4, 1974, reported that, “The August Moon Festival is a cooperative effort with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the festival’s executive committee is chaired by Fannie Kwan and composed of members of the community: the Chinatown Boys’ Club, the YMCA, the New England Martial Arts Assn., the Gung Ho Club and the Chinese Athletic Club Knights, the Northeastern and Boston University Chinese Foreign Students Club, and the Golden Age Center.” Much of the same events which were held in previous years were conducted once again, including the Teahouse of the August Moon, lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, and music by the Quong Kow and Kew Sings clubs.
The pandemic may have dampened recent celebrations in Chinatown but in the near future, hopefully these great festivities will be held once again.
