Lunar Love: Moon-Related Travel Experiences Are on the Rise

Around the world, there are plenty of festivals dedicated to the moon. Some are traditional and cultural like China's Mid-Autumn Festival. The holiday dates back to the early Tang Dynasty (617-907 CE) when families would come together to make offerings of osmanthus-flavored wine, spherical fruits, and mooncakes to the moon when it was at its biggest and brightest to express thanks for a bountiful harvest. These days, it is the second biggest celebration in the country after Chinese New Year. It falls on the Oct. 4 in 2017.

Many US Chinatown neighborhoods like the ones in San Francisco and Chicago hold similar events where the mooncake, originally made with embedded egg yolks and lotus seed paste, often gets a modern makeover. Others are held purely for fun, like New York's Full Moon Festival on Governors Island. This annual bacchanal, which will be in its eighth year in 2018, was patterned after the aforementioned Thai party and features bands, DJs, art installations, and food.