Dr. Sun Yat-Sen classical gardens in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Sunday, Sept. 27, not only marked the reappearance of a special Supermoon and Lunar Eclipse — a giant, red-hued moon that has not been seen since 1982 — it also coincided with the festivities of the Moon Festival.
Vancouverites gathered in the evening from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in the heart of Chinatown to admire the spectacular harvest moon, eat mooncakes and light up the night sky with traditional sky lanterns, also known as Kongming.
Mooncakes, round in shape like the harvest moon, are a symbol of reunion and happiness. They are made with pastry and stuffed with a bean-and-egg-yolk filling. Decorated with flowers and leaves, these treats come in many different flavours — red bean and lotus seed are two popular choices.
These celebratory snacks are often purchased as gifts rather than for personal consumption. Rich in flavour, mooncakes can be up to 700 calories according to a 2013 study conducted by the Taiwan Health Promotion Administrations Ministry of Health and Welfare.
For those who attended the event with less of a sweet tooth, the gardens offered opportunity to revel among musicians, artists, performers, tea masters and storytellers.
Some people even tested their skills at Mah-jong, an ancient Chinese game of skill, strategy and calculation.
The evening ended with a mythology talk by representatives of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, following an invitation to light a lotus lantern in the pond that surrounds the garden.
For more information on other events hosted at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden see their website.
Three men play the ancient Chinese game of Mah-jong at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens. Skill and strategy are required to win.
A group participates in a traditional tea ceremony.
