Mid-Autumn Festival | Mooncake Festival | Moon Themed Music Lesson Ideas

This year, the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival, commonly known as Mooncake Festival in Malaysia is going to be celebrated on 21st of September 2021 (Tuesday). It’s that time of the year where children will play with lanterns at night and it’s also a time of reunion for Chinese families.

I have compiled some resources that I think is very popular in Malaysia and perhaps it will be useful for Music teachers in other parts of the world.

Although it is common to sing Mandarin songs as it was in my personal experience, I would also like to introduce Wau Bulan as an option. Wau Bulan is a Malaysian folk song and I think it will be an interesting addition to these repertoire of lesson resource.

Enjoy!

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Summary of Mid-Autumn Songs Ideas & Lesson Resources

Mid-Autumn Song Ideas & Lesson Ideas

1. Yue Liang Yuan (The Moon is Round)

mid-autumn festival, mooncake festival, moon themed music lesson ideas, the round moon
From Cherthemusic IG post

Song description: Slow and ballad style, has a very catchy chorus and suitable for preschool to primary levels.

Sample video performances and activities

This is the original soundtrack for Yue Liang Yuan (The Round Moon). The child singers incorporated original hand signs for the song.
This video is performed by adults with hand signs to accompany the song performance. Some of the hand signs are modified from the original.
This version of the song is sung by adults and quality of audio is clear.
  • Look up the romanization/Pin Yin of the Mandarin lyrics with some brief explanation here.
  • Check out this Quizziz lesson that I made to teach my students. It includes the original text, pinyin/romanization, translation of the lyrics and the singalong video.
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2. Wo Men De Yue Liang Yi Ding Yuan (The Moon Will Surely Be Round)

mid-autumn festival, mooncake festival, moon themed music lesson ideas, our moon is surely round

Song description: Faster pace, has a very Chinese New Year song style to it yet maintains a pop feel, suitable for upper primary to secondary levels.

Sample video performances and activities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0e-BaDWzd0
This music video of “Wo Men De Yue Liang Yi Ding Yuan” contains the original soundtrack accompanied with mandarin text, pinyin/romanization and Malay translation.
Use this music video to refer the hand signs and actions.
Another song and action performance by adults.
This is another option for children to follow in dance and song.
  • Check out this Quizziz lesson that I made for “Wo Men De Yue Liang Yi Ding Yuan” which includes the mandarin text, pinyin/romanization, translation and singalong video.
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3. Wau Bulan (Malaysian Folk Song)

mid-autumn festival, mooncake festival, moon themed music lesson ideas

Song description: Features Kelantanese dialect, fast paced and popular for dikir barat performances, the ‘wau’ is a traditional kite shaped like the crescent of the moon, suitable for primary levels.

Sample video performances and activities

The Wau Bulan song with lyrics
The Wau Bulan song with body percussion indicated.
An alternative version of Wau Bulan by Didi & Frends
A vocal ensemble performance of Wau Bulan which shows the Dikir Barat style performance by sitting down and hand gestures.
Another vocal ensemble performance of Wau Bulan with the Dikir Barat style.

4. Cheng Li De Yue Guang (The Moonlight in the City)

mid-autumn festival, mooncake festival, moon themed music lesson ideas, the moonlight in the city

Song description: A contemporary style song with some elements of traditional sounds, the song carries a melancholic meaning but indicates hopeful theme of reunion.

Sample video performances and activities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXkFqr7xuyU
Cheng Li De Yue Guang – Moonlight in the City with Pin Yin
Cheng Li De Yue Guang – Moonlight in the City with hand gestures

Cheng Li De Yue Guang – Moonlight in the City – Pinyin and English Translation

5. Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin (The Moon Represents My Heart) (Teresa Teng)

mid-autumn festival, mooncake festival, moon themed music lesson ideas, the moon represents my heart

Song description: A very popular tune and love song known globally, famously performed by Teresa Teng, a representative tune for this festive season.

Sample video performances and activities

Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin – The Moon Represents My Heart – Lyrics video with Pinyin

Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin – The Moon Represents My Heart – Translation

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Published by Cherylyn

Cherylyn is a general music teacher for KS1 and KS2 at a Malaysian international school. She writes articles related to music teacher development which includes productivity tips and professional development. She also has interests in music arrangement and production as well.

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