Create and decorate shadow puppets of moon goddess Chang ‘Er and legendary archer Hou Yi. Then put on an original performance in your DIY shadow puppet theater.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Museum of Chinese in America (@mocanyc)

MAKE: Download the shadow puppet templates and instructions by clicking here.

READ: Click here to read the classic legend of Chang’Er and Hou Yi.

Have you been watching the full moon (赏月) this Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节)? If so, you might see the outline of the mythical Jade Rabbit! Legend has it that the rabbit got its name because of its precious, jade-like fur, and that it serves as a friendly companion of Chang ‘Er, the Moon Goddess.

READ: Click here to read the tale of the Jade Rabbit!

PLAY: Solve our Jade Rabbit inspired tangram puzzles. Click to download!

We continued our virtual Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) celebration with MOCACREATE @ Home. Educator Taylor and Roux showed us how to make wax paper lanterns, which are lit to celebrate the brightness of the moon this time of year. Make the night even brighter by constructing a fall-themed lantern of your own!

Share your finished projects with us by tagging #MOCACREATE and #MOCACREATEathome on social media, DMing us, or emailing images to education@mocanyc.org. Follow our social media for more ways to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at home!

Taught by a martial arts master from the New York Chinese Cultural Center, this introductory workshop taught participants how to do the “Gazing At the Moon” posture inspired by archer Hou Yi, as well as some basic stances, strikes, and other techniques.

Mooncakes come in countless shapes, sizes, and patterns. Imagine and sketch a personalized mooncake pattern onto your very own DIY scratch art!

Share your creations with us by tagging #MOCACREATE and #MOCACREATEathome on social media, DMing us, or emailing us at education@mocanyc.org. We can’t wait to see the finished products!

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, families come together for special harvest picnics under the light the moon! Learn about the foods they share as they admire the moon and give thanks for the year’s harvest.

PLAY: Test your memory by playing a fun matching game—and learn about why we eat certain foods for this holiday! Click to download.

COOK: Try out this mooncake recipe at home!

Jade rabbits, moonbeams, mooncakes, oh my! It’s time for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival! Join us for a reading of Grace Lin’s Thanking the Moon and a special retelling of the legend of Chang Er and Hou Yi. We’ll also sing a few songs and round out our storytime with a Mid-Autumn themed craft.

Please note that this workshop was recorded via Zoom and made available on Facebook Live for 24 hours.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.