Do you know the moon on the Moon Festival is rounder and brighter than any other day? The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of Chinese lunar calendar. Traditionally, it is a day to reunite with family members, meet with friends and admire the full moon. If you are looking for an authentic travel experience for your trip to Taiwan, why not book this private tour with Edison Tours and celebrate the Moon Festival like a local?
In Mandarin, the homophone of pomelo is “bless”, therefore the fruit “pomelo” also symbolizes the auspicious blessings in Chinese society. Every year, the Moon Festival coincides with the harvest season of pomelos, for this reason, pomelo has become the fruit to represent this festival. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to pick you own pomelos at a beautiful pomelo orchard in Bali, New Taipei City.
Since you will be celebrating the Moon Festival in Taiwan, surely you will not miss out on the moon cakes. Before dinner, you will experience a hand-on activity in Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry. The professional pastry instructor will show you how to wrap the filling, mold the cakes and bake them, step by step, easy peasy.
When the local people talk about the Moon Festival, the first thing comes to their mind is—barbecue time! During this season (especially in the evening), the streets smell just like grilled meat. From the rooftops to the verandas, there are always people gathering together having a barbecue party. Of course you won’t be left mouth-watering on this day, but enjoying a self-grilling barbecue dinner.
After dinner, it’s time to burn some calories by taking a hike along the Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail. The Elephant Mountain is not only one of the best places to admire the full moon in Taiwan, but also an iconic spot for night photography. You just need to take a short hike to reach the viewing platforms, where a stunning view of the bright moon rising above the city lights is expected.
Take this opportunity to truly experience the lifestyle of Taiwanese people for a day, and discover the Moon Festival traditions that are only practiced in Taiwan.
Meet your tour guide and driver at the hotel lobby, and then head off to Bali District, New Taipei City.
The first stop of your Moon Festival day tour is Doris Forest Leisure Farm, where you can enjoy a pick-your-own experience at the pomelo orchard during this season. The farm is located in Guanyinshan National Scenic Area, which not only offers stunning vistas of mountains and sea, but also the favorable geographical conditions for fruit growing, including pomelo. Every year, the Moon Festival coincides with the harvest season of pomelos, for this reason, pomelo has become the fruit to represent this festival. An unpeeled pomelo can be stored at room temperature and still retain its freshness for a long time; as the fruit ages, the rind will become wrinkled and yellow, but the fruit pulp inside will be sweeter, by that time, you can peel it and enjoy it. Besides, making pomelo hats with the rind is also other favorite activity for kiddos during this season, if you haven’t try it yet, this is the opportunity.
In addition to pomelo, the “moon cake” is another unmissable festive treat for the Moon Festival. After picking your own pomelos, you will experience a hands-on activity of making your own moon cakes in Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry.
Kuo Yuan Ye is famous Taiwanese chain of patisserie founded in 1867. The time-honored patisserie is famous for providing a wide array of pastry gift boxes for all kinds of special occasions such as wedding, full month celebration, birthday and traditional festivals. Throughout the century, it has witnessed countless precious moments of Taiwanese people. In addition of gifts and merchandise, Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry helps preserve the pastry culture in Taiwan by keeping series of related objects on display to enable the visitors to have a good understanding of the traditions and history. Besides, the museum also provides a variety of DIY activities, which allow the visitors to enjoy a fun baking experience.
Making moon cakes during this season not only embodies the core of the Moon Festival tradition, but also enriches your travel experience. Here in Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry, the professional pastry instructor will show you how to wrap the filling, mold the cakes and bake them; you will just need to follow the instructions step by step, and savor the moment. While waiting for the cakes to bake, you can take a look at the exhibitions: the traditional six wedding gifts, the traditional Chinese wedding etiquette, the playroom, etc.
Speaking of the Moon Festival, there is a unique tradition that is only practiced in Taiwan—barbecuing with family and friends. The origin of this tradition has never been proven, some said the trend was started by the TV commercials of two local barbecue sauce manufacturers, and some said it was the grill manufacture’s sales promotion that led to a tendency to barbecue on the Moon Festival. No matter which one is more convincing, the undoubted fact is the passion of bringing people together.
Walking in the streets in the evening, you can see many people having a barbecue party on the verandas, and the streets smell just like grilled meat that will make you drool. Since you are in Taiwan, you should not miss out on this unique Moon Festival tradition that you can only experience in Taiwan. On this tour, you will enjoy a self-grilling barbecue dinner; seafood, vegetable or meat, grill it yourself and immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere.
After dinner, it’s time to go for a walk to improve digestion and burn off some calories. The last stop of your Moon Festival day tour is the Elephant Mountain.
The Elephant Mountain is not only one of the best places to admire the moon in Taiwan, but also the photographers’ favorite location to capture a sweeping view of Taipei. Whether it is the phenomenal Taipei 101 or the sparkling city lights, it offers superb photo opportunities that will make your social media photos stand out!
Coming over here during this season is an enjoyable experience to behold a fascinating view of the cityscape with the full moon, making a wonderful finale of your day journey.
After this amazing season limited tour, your tour guide will escort you back to your hotel.
Adults
Child (age 2-11)
Infant
If you are interested in booking this tour, please fill out the form below and click submit for further information.
