KINILENS | The full moon is seen rising over the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur today as the Chinese Malaysian community observes the annual mid-autumn festival.

The festival is traditionally observed through eating mooncakes, carrying colourful lanterns, moon gazing and family gatherings. The date of the festival - the 15th day in the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar - coincides with a full moon.

The celebrations are held in honour of the moon goddess Chang'e. One version of her mythology holds that she swallowed a tyrant's elixir to deprive him of immortality. She then fled to the moon to escape, leaving behind an angry tyrant and a grateful people.