A few days ago, I had the pleasure of being invited to a Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration held at the newly opened Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony at the New World Hotel in Makati City.
Having previously worked in the public relations department of a prestigious Japanese-chain hotel owned by a Filipino-Chinese tycoon a decade or so ago, I realized the importance of this festival as one of the most significant festivals in Chinese culture. Mainland Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and other ethnic Chinese communities around the world celebrate this event.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also popularly known as the Mooncake Festival, which can, perhaps, be likened to the thanksgiving celebrations in the West, when families and friends gather together to spend time together, sharing a meal and eating mooncakes.
Mooncakes are pastries made with lotus paste and egg yolks. They are round, which symbolizes unity, harmony and strengthening of ties among families and friends. Traditionally, mooncakes are made in the homes and the elders will distribute these cakes to family members. Nowadays, people present mooncakes to their loved ones, friends, and colleagues to demonstrate that they value their relationship with them. Some families also follow the Buddhist ritual of offering a whole roast pig, roast duck, and mooncakes, as well as different round fruits, which symbolizes the fullness of the moon, such as pomegranates, pomelo and yam to the Goddess Chang-O. Candle lanterns made of bamboo and paper are lit and carried to help give the wishes a hotline to the heavens.
Since September 9 is an auspicious day, as it is part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony opened its doors to the public at its new location in New World Hotel, having transferred from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Manila.
The Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony is owned by the mother-and-daughter team of Baby and Princesse Fernandez. The store was established in 1998 in partnership with the late great feng shui master Paul Tak Lau from Hong Kong. The event was graced by its loyal clientele, comprised of both local and foreign expat patrons.
The enchanting evening started with an auspicious paai shan, or blessing, which was performed by Hong Kong-based world-renowned primary figure in the practice of geomancy Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing. There was, likewise, the lantern-lighting ceremony for the blessing of the new Yin & Yang Shop of Harmony location and for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebration. The event was to imbibe positive ch’i (energy) for each and every guest that night as they basked under the glow of the full-moon light. The ceremony was to call on the Goddess of the Moon Chang O for blessings, more luck, prosperity, health and abundance for the second half of the year. It is said that people who make wishes during this time would often get their wish. A ch’i ceremony followed to reenergize everyone’s personal lucky charms.
Capping the night was even more fun, with a traditional mooncake game, pua tong, while the guests feasted on the sumptuous dim sum and other lucky Chinese dishes, such as Peking duck rolls prepared by Jasmine’s Executive Chinese Chef Wong Kam On, while abundantly flowing Moet Chandon champagne and Hennessey cocktails were served. Fortune cookies and delectable red macaroons from Bizu Patisserie were the night’s giveaway, as well as lucky mooncakes for the winners of the pua tong.
Ying & Yang Shop of Harmony is a one-stop curio shop for feng shui items and other related objects. Each piece and item in the store is carefully selected by the mother-daughter tandem, who have been in the geomancy practice since 1998. The store sells one-of-a-kind Chinese antiques and collectibles, authentic and natural crystals in raw and polished form. Many of the items are unique to the shop alone, because they are especially made and hand-crafted based on original designs using the finest authentic and traditional materials.
Princesse Fernandez offers feng shui consultations for a wide range of needs, such as personal consultations, residential and commercial consultations, as well as helping in house-and-lot purchase, selection of auspicious dates for important celebrations, site development plan and floor plan consultations. What is great about the consultations with Fernandez is that, while following and keeping the traditions of the age-old practice of feng shui that has been around for thousands of years, she has adapted to the changes of the modern world and integrates them to create a unique blend that distinguishes a yin and yang feng shui consultation.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all, and sending you good ch’i all the way!