The woman in the moon
N 20°39'14.6'' E 105°04'01.5''
Date:
14.09.2016
Day: 446
Country:
Vietnam
Province:
Hòa Bình
Location:
May Chau
Latitude N:
20°39’14.6”
Longitude E:
105°04’01.5”
Total kilometers:
18,416 km
Maximum height:
180 m
Total altitude meters:
54.661 m
Sunrise:
05:46
Sunset:
6:04 pm
Temperature day max:
31°C
Temperature day min:
23°C
(Photos of the diary entry can be found at the end of the text).
“Are you coming to our full moon party tonight? Maybe you can take a few pictures for me. As I’m organizing the party, I don’t have time for that,” says Manh, who bought professional camera equipment just a few weeks ago, fulfilling a long-cherished dream. “Sure, I’ll come and take a few photos,” I agree.
As if the goblin-blue sky knew that people were celebrating their moon festival, it is completely cloudless today for the first time in months. Luna rises in brilliant white above the dark shadows of the thousand-metre-high mountains that surround the rice-grass valley of Mai Chau in a protective ring and sends down its diffuse light. In front of the cave, where the makeshift hospital was located during the Vietnam War, tables are lined up which Manh and his team have overloaded with mountains of sweets and soft drinks. Balloons of all colors hang from the steep rock faces behind them, limiting the small space at the back. It is still quiet in the place that will be conquered in a few minutes by the screams, laughter and cheers of many children. “For a long time, the moon festival was an opportunity for us to give thanks for a good harvest and the prosperity of our animals and to honor the gods. Of course, our parents also prayed for the health and development of their children. They always addressed their gratitude to the moon,” explains Ka, the manager of the Nature Lodge, who suddenly appeared next to me. “And over the centuries it developed into a children’s festival?” I ask. “Yes, that’s exactly how it is. In the schools and kindergartens, the teachers, educators and parents organize a celebration. The children are given masks, lanterns and mooncakes.” “Moon cakes?” “Yes, it’s a specialty of the original Chinese cuisine. The filling is sometimes sweet and sometimes savory. It’s a cake steeped in history that was used by rebellious Chinese to carry hidden secret messages when the Mongols ruled China. It is said that the Chinese fortune cookie was created from it.” “Who says that?” “It’s a legend, but I believe it’s true.” “And what does a mooncake look like?” I ask. “It is only 10 centimeters in diameter and maybe 5 centimeters high. Every country and region has its own mooncakes, which are said to symbolize the full moon. Sometimes they are filled with a slightly greasy, sugar-sweetened filling made from beans, sesame seeds, pineapple or lotus seeds. I’ll bring you one tomorrow. Then you can have a taste.” “I’d love to, I haven’t had a good cake in a long time,” I reply with a laugh. “I’ll choose one for you on which the baker has baked a lettering for a long, healthy life.” “Yes, please, and it should also have protection from stupid little bamboo bridges on it,” I joke. “Ha, ha, ha, good joke,” laughs Ka. “And when are the children coming now?” They are parading through the village with their masks and lanterns, singing the mid-autumn festival song Chiếc đèn ông sao. But I think they’ll be here in a few minutes.”
A short time later, the Nature Lodge is conquered by perhaps 50 children. They rush to the tables heaped with sweets. Their parents tell them to be quiet for the time being. Before Manh honored some children with special gifts for their academic achievements, nothing on the table was allowed to be touched. They sit there patiently, chattering excitedly and barely listening to Manh’s praise. When the official part is finally over, the great joy breaks out and the little people present are allowed to spoil their stomachs with all the sweets.
Then the spook is suddenly over again. The youngest inhabitants of the Mai Chau valley have gone home with their parents or moved on. I sit on a bench made of bamboo cane and enjoy the peace and quiet for a while. Manh sits down next to him with a satisfied smile. “It was a successful party,” I say. “Yes, it’s a great pleasure to see the children so happy. I made a special trip to Hanoi yesterday to buy some freshly baked mooncakes.” “Wow, that’s quite an effort.” “Anyway, it’s important to me to see the smiling children and give them a few unforgettable moments. Probably because I didn’t have a great childhood myself.” “Hm, it’s nice when people turn the negatives in life into positives and have learned from their experiences.” “Do you actually know where our moon festival originated?” “To be honest, no.” “There are actually several legends. According to one legend, which I like best, the origin lies in the Chinese archer Houyi.” “Do you want to tell me about it?” “I’d love to. So, a long, long time ago, in ancient China, the sons of the Jade Emperor turned into ten suns. They suddenly became evil and scorched the earth with their hot rays, destroying the entire harvest. The Jade Emperor immediately ordered his sons to stop this destruction, but they did not heed their father’s order. The Jade Emperor asked the archer Houyi, who lived as an immortal in heaven, for help. He is supposed to shoot nine of the ten suns out of the sky to save the earth from total incineration. Houyi unpacked his bow and fulfilled the emperor’s wish. However, the Jade Emperor could not get over the loss of his nine sons and became very unhappy. His grief turned into anger and rage against the archer Houyi, which is why he banished him and his wife from heaven so that they could live and die as normal people on earth.
Because Houyi’s wife Chang’e was very saddened by the loss of her immortality, the archer set off on a long and dangerous journey. He didn’t want to come back until he had found a medicine that could restore his wife’s immortality. He wandered around for ages and was about to give up his search when he met the King’s Mother in the west, who actually gave him a remedy that promised immortality. ‘I’m warning you,’ said the king’s mother to the archer. ‘This medicine is for two people to achieve immortality. If only one person takes the entire dose, it is very dangerous.
Houyi took the warning seriously, guarded the valuable medicine like a treasure and reached his home after the long journey. He immediately warned his wife about the medicine and locked her in a box while he had to leave his home for a short time. But Chang`e was very curious and opened the box. She found the miracle cure the moment her husband came home. Because she was worried that he might take the box immediately, she accidentally swallowed all the medicine. Because of the overdose, she immediately began to ascend into the sky. In the heat of the moment, Houyi wanted to put an end to his wife’s further ascent with a well-aimed bow shot. However, he could not bring himself to shoot his beloved wife. Chang`e continued to ascend until she landed on the moon. She built a palace there and still lives up there today,” Manh ends his story, pointing his finger at the night sky. “A beautiful story,” I say, looking at the moon. “Is Chang`e looking down on us right now?” I ask Manh. “Definitely,” he replies with a smile…
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