The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is said to be the Zhongyuan Festival (spirit festival) with a strong feature of superstition. Among urban residents, the deceased and ancestors would be worshiped by offering nine dishes, burning joss paper, lighting candles and joss sticks, and casting some offerings. After the ceremony, the family would share the offerings.

After the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. The festival is observed on the 16th day of the eighth lunar month in Linhai, when in addition to the moon cakes eaten all over the country, "soft cakes" are steamed as the staple food, and are tasted together with nine dishes to celebrate the family's reunion and the festival. The "soft cakes" are steamed with layers of glutinous rice flour and brown sugar featuring softness and sweetness.

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, known as the Chongyang Festival or the Double Ninth Festival, Linhai natives have Chongyang cakes, which are made by steaming nine layers of glutinous rice flour and brown sugar with steamed Chinese chestnuts put inside and brown sugar syrup spread on the top. It is served after being cut into pieces.

After the Double Ninth Festival, there are no festivals until the winter solstice. On that day, it is the custom to eat leiyuan in every household. The balls of the glutinous rice flour in the size of a small cup are steamed and then rolled in a mixture of fried bean flour and brown sugar. It is tasty and filling when eaten with various dishes.

Leiyuan [Photo/Weibo account of Linhai Youth]