遮莫先驱到望舒Let the Moon Lead the Way

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China's most important traditional festivals. Every year at Mid-Autumn, the stories of Chang'e flying to the moon, Wu Gang felling the osmanthus tree and the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, along with countless poems and all kinds of mooncakes, create a rich festive atmosphere. But if we look at the Mid-Autumn myths from a deeper and broader, global perspective, can we find wonderful details and deeper meanings we had never noticed before? This session begins by comparing the Chinese story of Chang'e flying to the moon with the Western story of Apollo and Daphne. It explores the astronomical meanings shared by ancient myths and the experience of life's journey that spans East and West, looks at the profound insights East and West each left us about the moon, the cosmos, longevity and eternity, and asks what is really so special about the moon in Chinese eyes. Questions we plan to discuss: What virtue has the light of night, that it dies and then is born again? What does it gain, that it keeps the hare (gutu) in its belly? -- Qu Yuan, Chu Ci, "Heavenly Questions" How many elegant names does the moon have in the Chinese classical tradition? Which of them carry hidden meanings? Why exactly did Chang'e fly to the moon? What crime did Wu Gang commit, and why was he punished in this particular way? What medicine is the white rabbit pounding? What is special about the osmanthus tree on the moon? What particular views of the moon do the Chinese hold? Where do these views come from?