With over a month to go until the Mid-Autumn Festival, various mooncakes have already hit supermarket shelves. However, what the people of Hangzhou are truly anticipating are the vegetarian mooncakes wrapped in oiled paper from the city’s major temples. On Aug 9, Fajing Buddhist Temple at Zhongtianzhu was the first to begin selling these mooncakes, adding the first touch of deliciousness to the Mid-Autumn Festival for the local people of Hangzhou.
The vegetarian mooncakes from various temples have been popular in Hangzhou for over a thousand years. It is said that during the early Northern Song Dynasty, Yongming Yanshou, the first abbot of Jingci Temple and the most revered monk in Hangzhou at the time, advised King Qian Hongchu of Wuyue to voluntarily submit to the Northern Song Dynasty before he passed away. However, Qian Hongchu was reluctant, arguing that Wuyue was wealthy while the Song Dynasty was impoverished, making it hard for oil and water to mix (In Chinese, we often use “oil” to represent wealth and “water” to represent poverty). Then the monk responded, “When dying of hunger and thirst, which is more precious, oil or water?” He then mixed water, flour, and a small amount of oil to create a vegetarian filling, forming it into a cake which he gave to Qian Hongchu. The cake crumbled upon touch, with the crust turning into delicate, thin layers that melted in the mouth, leaving a lingering pure fragrance. Qian Hongchu realized, “So oil and water can indeed blend beautifully.”
After the monk’s passing, Qian Hongchu named this cake the “Taishi Cake” (Grand Master Cake). Over time, the “Taishi Cake” evolved into what is now known as the temple’s vegetarian mooncake. Today, these mooncakes, with their pure ingredients, rich flavors, and deep cultural significance, have become a key symbol of Buddhist culture and traditional vegetarian pastries.
Every year, the vegetarian mooncakes from the major temples are in great demand and receive rave reviews. We have compiled the latest information on where to buy these vegetarian mooncakes at temples around Hangzhou. Let’s savor the taste of traditional Hangzhou vegetarian mooncakes!
Fajing Buddha Temple: 112 Tianzhu Road, Xihu District (near the exit corridor)
Available from: Aug 9
Flavors: Black sesame, lotus seed paste, rose, mixed nuts, red bean paste, and salty
Price: 7 RMB each, 50 RMB per tube pack, 120 RMB per gift box
Contact: 0571-87986156
Jingshan Temple: Jingshan Village, Jingshan Town, Yuhang District (at the temple’s Dharma supply store and Guiyun Hall), Hangzhou
Available from: Aug 10
Additionally, Lingyin Temple, Fajing Nunnery, and others will soon release specific dates and information about their vegetarian mooncake offerings.
Flavors: Vegetarian five kernels, salty, Jingshan tea, salty black sesame, purple sweet potato paste, lotus seed paste
Contact: WeChat ID: jingshan1280
Xiangji Temple: 1 Xiangji Temple Lane, Gongshu District, Hangzhou
Available from: Aug 13
Faxi Temple: 338 Tianzhu Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou
Available from: Aug 12
Yongfu Temple: 16 Fayun Lane, Lingyin Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou
Available from: Around Aug 16 (expected)
Price: 108 RMB per gift box
Old Yuhuang Palace (“Yuelao Cakes”): Yuhuangshan Park, Yuhuangshan Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou
Available from: Around Aug 25 (expected)
Attractive ice moon cake