It looks like moon watchers won’t be disappointed on Monday night, as Taiwan celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival. Meteorologists were predicting particularly hot temperatures with highs of up to 36 degrees Celsius in Taipei, and temperatures lingering in the mid-thirties for the rest of the island.
Good weather is particularly important for the Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan, because the holiday revolves around outdoor barbecues and gazing at the moon.
The Central Weather Bureau says that scattered afternoon thundershowers are possible in mountainous areas, and in the low-lying areas along the east coast counties of Yian, Hualien, and Taitung. But forecasters say that once the showers are over and the clouds have scattered, there will still be a good chance of catching a clear view of the moon.
The roundness of the full moon is of particular symbolic importance in Taiwan and China on this holiday, because the Chinese word for “roundness” sounds like the word for “reunion”. Joining together with friends and family lies at the heart of this festival.