We are all familiar with eating mooncakes as a way to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. But what is less known, or often forsaken, is the traditional customs used to mark the occasion, such as bringing family members together to appreciate the beauty of the moon, which should be at its most bright and round.

When I was a child, my family would gather under the moonlight in the courtyard or balcony to have snacks, mooncakes and tea, chatting and watching the moon. My favorite part was listening to my mom tell the story of the beautiful lady and the rabbit who lived on the moon.

This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Thursday, September 8. If you happen to be staying in Beijing during the holiday, we’ve selected some of the most well-known and traditional places in the city for your family to enjoy this authentically Chinese celebration. You may also even want to bring a pen and paper, in case the festival provides your children with inspiration for a drawing.

Find out more here.

This post first appeared here on September 19, 2013.

Photo: archive

Lugou Bridge 卢沟晓月

Located at the southwest of Beijing’s Fengtai District, Lugou bridge became well-known for its poetic name Lugouxiaoyue (The Moon over Lugou Bridge at Dawn 卢沟晓月) given by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty after he saw the full moon reflected on the Yongding River. Emperor Qianlong then adopted the title and inscribed it upon a stone tablet during the Qing Dynasty, which further spread its fame. The 266-meter-long stone bridge also serves as one of many extraordinary works of architecture in the capital. Shaped like a rainbow, the bridge has 11 arched gates, four Chinese pillars and 485 carved lions placed atop columns. Every Mid-Autumn Day, special festivities such as lantern fairs would take place by the bridge to celebrate its history.