What the Moon Really Means in Chinese Culture

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00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Homesickness
02:19 - Love
03:42 - Chang'e and Houyi
04:46 - Loneliness


静夜思
Jìng Yè Sī

李白
by Lǐ Bái

床前明月光
Chuáng qián míng yuè guāng
There’s moonlight before my bed.

疑是地上霜
Yí shì dì shàng shuāng
It seems like there’s frost on the ground

舉頭望明月
Jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè
I raise my head to look at the bright moon.

低頭思故鄉
Dī tóu sī gù xiāng
I lower my head and think of my hometown



車遙遙篇
Chē yáoyáo piān
Your Carriage is So Distant

作者：范成大
Author: Fàn Chéng Dà

車遙遙，馬憧憧，
Chē yáoyáo, mǎchōngchōng,
Your carriage is so distant,
pulled by driving horses

君遊東山東復東，安得奮飛逐西風。
Jūn yóu dōngshān dōng fù dōng, ān dé fènfēi zhú xīfēng.
You travel east of Mount Tai;
only by following the West wind eastward can I follow you

願我如星君如月，夜夜流光相皎潔。
Yuàn wǒ rú xīng jūn rúyuè, yè yè liúguāng xiàng jiǎojié.
I want to be the stars, with you as the moon;
every night our brilliant lights would mix in the sky

月暫晦，星常明，
Yuè zàn huì, xīng cháng míng,
The moon is hidden for the time being,
but the stars are always bright

留明待月復，三五共盈盈。
Liú míng dài yuè fù, sānwǔ gòng yíngyíng.
I’ll wait until the moon is full again;
we can light up the night together once more.


月下獨酌
Yùe Xìa Dú Zhúo

李白
by Lǐ Bái

花間一壺酒，。
Huā jiān yī hú jiǔ, dú zhuó wū xiāngqīn.
There is a jug of wine amidst the flowers;
With no friends or family around, I drink from it myself

舉杯邀明月，對影成三人。
Jǔ bēi yāo míngyuè, duì yǐng chéng sān rén.
I raise my jug to the bright moon;
Its shadow and my shadow mix, and now there are three of us

月既不解飲，影徒隨我身。
Yuè jì bù jiě yǐn, yǐng tú suí wǒ shēn.
The moon doesn’t understand the joy of drinking;
Its shadow just follows my form.

暫伴月將影，行樂須及春。
Zàn bàn yuè jiāng yǐng, xínglè xū jí chūn.
For now, I enjoy the company of the moon and its shadow;
Finding joy in making the most of the spring.


In a Bamboo Villa
竹里館
Zhúlǐ guǎn

王維
by Wáng Wéi


獨坐幽篁裏，彈琴復長嘯。
Dú zuò yōu huáng lǐ, tánqín fù chángxiào.
Sitting by myself in a secluded bamboo grove,
I go back and forth between plucking the zither and whistling

深林人不知，明月來相照。
Shēnlín rén bùzhī, míngyuè lái xiāng zhào.
No one knows about me in this deep forest
The bright moon comes over to be my companion.



🌕 What does the moon really mean in Chinese poetry? In this episode of Learn Chinese Now, Jared breaks down some of the most famous Chinese poems—from Li Bai’s bittersweet verses to Song Dynasty laments about love and separation.

You’ll discover how the moon symbolizes homesickness, unreachable love, loneliness, and even Taoist solitude—all while learning real lines of classical Chinese poetry with pronunciation and cultural context.

Plus, we explore the legend of Chang’E, the goddess who flew to the moon, and how her tragic story shaped the Mid-Autumn Festival.

If you love Chinese culture, poetry, or just want to understand the deeper meanings behind familiar symbols—this is the episode for you.

📘 Featuring poems by Li Bai, Fan Chengda, and Wang Wei
🈶 Learn Chinese culture through real stories and authentic lines
🧠 No fluff. Real insights. Real language learning.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe!
🗣️ What Chinese symbols should we explore next?


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#ChinesePoetry #MidAutumnFestival #LiBai #MoonSymbolism #TangPoetry

Music Credits :
Zelda & Chill - Oath to Order
   • Zelda & Chill - Oath to Order  
Chill Fashion Lo-fi by unfeel [No Copyright Music] / Sweet Talk
Fabio Emma - ElectroChina

Edited by ‪@iwestez‬