Moonlit Legacies: China's Mid-Autumn Relics and Traditions (2)

Emperor Minghuang's Journey to the Moon Palace

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

Mid-Autumn Festival's rituals of worshiping and honoring the moon reflect the ancient reverence for the celestial body and have inspired romantic imaginations of the Moon Palace. "Emperor Minghuang's Journey to the Moon Palace", painted by Ming Dynasty artist Zhou Chen, illustrates a scene from a Tang Dynasty novel where Emperor Minghuang (Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) dreams of traveling to the palace within the moon, guided by a Taoist master.