Business trips during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China |

The Mid-Autumn Festival in China, also called the Moon Festival, is one of the most important holidays for the Chinese, the Vietnamese, and even the Koreans and Japanese. It takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Han calendar. And according to our Gregorian calendar, the traditional festivities are held on a day between September 8 and October 8. Did you know that that is the day when you can see the full moon in all its splendour?

If you are considering travelling to China to improve the profits of your furniture and construction hardware business, you’ll need to know when this festival is held. This way, you can adjust your travel dates and enjoy some Chinese culture.

Mid-Autumn Festival in China: How did it start?

If you look at the calendar, you’ll see that the Mid-Autumn Festival in China (中秋节 Zhongqiujie / jong-chyoh-jyeah) was celebrated last month on September 13. In 2020, it will take place on October 1. It has more than 3000 years of history. It comes from the tradition of moon worship during the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 B.C.). In addition, it was the season when corn was harvested. As such, they would celebrate the bounty of the harvest. They would also give thanks to the gods of the Earth for the foods that they would be able to make with the corn.

Popular myths and legends

When the Mid-Autumn Festival recently began being celebrated in China, it was considered to be the day of love. Those who wished to find love would ask “the old man in the moon” to grant them marriage. But this isn’t the only myth that has been told.

According to an ancient legend, Hou Yi used to shoot at the suns—all ten of them that were up in the ski! His goal was to keep these suns from harming his people. And so, the famous Hou Yi climbed up to a mountain peak, and then he did everything he could to do away with those suns. Leaving only the one that we can see today in the sky.

Common activities in this festival

Legends like the one above are told year after year during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. Plus, each region of the country has its own little variations on its customs. But, what is common practically everywhere is:

Whole families get together outside to look at the moon.
A dessert called Mooncakes, which can be made in several flavours, is eaten.
The table is also set with grapefruit, pumpkin, cassia wine, grapes, and duck.
Traditional lanterns are flown…

… among other activities which make this festival such a special celebration.

Why it’s so important for Chinese culture

For the Chinese people, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important holiday, right behind the Chinese New Year. And whereas it used to be a veritable ritual filled with myths and legends, now it is a perfect excuse to spend time with family. It has gotten to the point where, in 2006, it was added to the list of intangible cultural heritage by the Chinese government.

Being familiar with the major Chinese holidays is important so that your hardware imports are not affected. And you need to give special consideration to those which bring business operations to a halt for a few days. At IBMH, we help our clients to make the best decisions about when to place their hardware orders. We work to always get the best deals.

If you are looking for the best partner in China for your furniture and construction hardware import business, you have an appointment with IBMH that you won’t want to miss. We’ll be delighted to receive you at our offices in Guangzhou to show you all the benefits of our Strategic Purchase Management service for your business.