Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Happy Moon Cake Festival ,Happy day at Shanghai Expo and Zhen Ru Temple

Finally I started the story in Shanghai, on the special day Full Moon festival 2013. Life is magic and this day is remind me how magical a day can be. Here is the requirement, first pray to the beautiful temple, invite your party with random yet wonderful people, bring pack of lantern and go to random places.

Flying Lantern in China Expo Area

This was our itinerary, first we went to Zhen Ru Temple and then go to China Expo station on line 9 with Denny's company and Denny friend's. Then prepare the this journey with reading the story of Full Moon festival and prepared for flying the wish to the sky, and while eating the cake and admired the roundest moon for whole day in a year.

Full Moon Festival

Eating moon cake is also heritage of our tradition in my family.  The festival itself had already eroded it's meaning into eating the moon cake. I really curious what is the moon festival was all about. First thing that I found out was the moon cake in China and Bandung was different.

I talked to my Chinese friend about the cake, and they was astonished and puzzled by our moon cake.  Bandung moon cake is round and sweet with various taste of chocolate, durian, honey, cheese, jack fruit etc. The cake has picture in front of it and the most famous one is Sin Hap Hoat. For other place in Indonesia may be different than in Bandung. The cake in China is softer and sweeter, and the shape is looks like pie rather than moon like shape of our cake.  The Chinese moon cake usually made from red bean or lotus seed and may contain with yolks of salted egg.

Indonesian Moon Cake

The Chinese Moon Cake that was given by the Bhikku.

The centre of Full moon Story is a love story of Chang E.  A long time ago, the earth has 10 sun and the Heaven sent Hou Yi to take down all but one sun.  On the day of mortal life Hou Yi met Chang E. There were various story that I found on the Internet, but at the end they were separated. Chang E ate longevity pill and fly to the moon with a big rabbit on the cinnamon tree while Hou Yi left on the earth. Chang E is charming and beautiful, and on this moon festival the day that Chang E reside that makes moon even more beautiful as ever. So on this day, you can pray to the moon for beauty dan longevity. 

In Singapore or Taiwan there is also lantern festival on Mid-Autumn Festival, but in China itself the lantern festival is in Chinese New Year. As I didn't celebrate Chinese New Year in China so we decided to do this in Mid- Autumn festival. This idea was really lack of preparation, and we just bought it in Tao Bao and go for celebrate the festival.

Zhen Ru Temple

While we were praying in Zhen Ru Temple, we were also amazed by the beauty of the temple. This temple is one of four big temple in Shanghai, and this one is the least famous. In my opinion this is the most beautiful temple compare the other, this temple dominated by wooden building, grey tile, a compound of garden and a pagoda. This temple was built in Song Dynasty and renovated and kept preserved in the Yuan Dynasty. This persevered temple is already rare in China, so this is a real hidden gem of Shanghai. This temple also not usually welcomed tourist, so this place is fully packed by local devotes.

The Pagoda

Zhen Ru Temple from Pagoda

Like my friend Melisa said and captured, it is great to be different!

The one that give us the moon cake, how modest and rich he is!

After praying to the Bodhisattva we were going to the 53 meter pagoda Zhenru. The pagoda is ten stories above the ground and has a Sacred Relics of Buddha. On the top of Pagoda we can see the whole compound of temple and beyond. Such a beautiful place to ponder, meditate and also photographic session. And there was a first surprise, Tjung was bring big box of moon cake. She told me that the Bhikku was blessed and gave her and us with a moon cake. What a happy moon cake to eat for the night!

Those small gift was memorable for us, it's not just the moon cake. First, we never expected the kindness of Chinese people, but they are very mysterious package. Like on this day, the Bhikku give us the happy surprise package. Second, this is a special day and we were having the same longing of a moon cake. Its like the universe want to care for us. And third, we were together with wonderful friend, the cake was sweeter when we shared it and especially the sharing moment that we loved.

Flying the Lantern

We continue the journey to the China Art Museum station, which consumed plenty of time. There were another group in front of Mercedes Benz Arena, and I never anticipated two things here. I just found out there were international student that want to join us and the Mercedes Benz arena was so crowded as Korean Singer held a concert there. I was imagined that we were small group of people in quiet atmosphere in the front of Huang Pu River. Feel so guilty after I gave so much hope for my friend to do the flying lantern there.

Hey this is a lantern with my wish

Hooray the lantern is flying

Say Hi!

China Art Museum Area was designated for Shanghai Expo 2010, there were a lot of pavilion from all over the world. Weirdly , almost all of them were torn down and what is left is just China Expo, Germany, Italy, and Arabian Expo. There was no urban area there, so I searched an empty place in front of rubble of expo area and a building for convention. It so quiet and there were no even a car crossing the road, we were completely in blank dark area around Shanghai.

We gather around  and we barely knew each other at that time. We wrote our wishes on the lamp, and together we flew the lantern. One by one the lantern was going up to the sky, we were all succeed. And I didn't forget to ate the moon cake while we were watching lantern and the full moon. I remembered that there were no spectacular view or whatever, but the genuine smile and hope that we shared together was so memorable.

I found out the meaning of the festival is to be grateful, embracing the moment and shared the joy. This particular moment was very sweet to remember and I really want to have a career to do this kind of thing. To be in celebration! Happy Mid- Autumn Festival!

Thanks for the photographed by Melisa Tjung and Hansel Yapadi