Mooncake Festival at Osborne Library

The story of the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, centres around the Chinese legend of the archer Hou Yi and his wife Chang'e, who drinks an immortality elixir and flees to the moon. This myth also explains the festival's connection to the harvest, family reunions, and the tradition of eating mooncakes, which symbolises the full moon and completeness. 

The festival dates back over 3,000 years and is an important holiday in Chinese culture. As part of the festival's celebrations, families and friends gather to share meals, make mooncakes, give gifts, light lanterns, and enjoy fireworks and dragon dances.

On Tuesday 7 October 2025, staff from Osborne Library gathered over lunch to celebrate the Mooncake Festival, enjoying homemade mooncakes and Puer tea.

In the months leading up to the festival, Library Officer, Mark, shared regular updates with the staff on his progress in preparing the ingredients to make authentic mooncakes, including preserving duck eggs in spicy brine and making golden syrup. Mark made black sesame, chestnut, lotus seed, and red bean mooncakes; and used wooden mooncake molds, which he borrowed from fellow staff member, Brenda's mum, to create the floral designs on top of his cakes. 

Brenda made snow skin mooncakes presented in three different colours and flavours: green - pandan red bean; orange - black sesame; and red - red bean. Staff sipped Puer tea and Chai demonstrated how the tea is traditionally served to guests using a ceramic tea set and bamboo serving utensils.