Beijing, Sep 8 (IANS): The annual moon festival is being celebrated Monday all across China.

Though the origins of celebrating the festival remain unknown, people make a round golden-coloured pastry called "tuanyuan" or the moon cake, stuffed with sugar and nuts. This is then shared by the whole family and distributed to others as well.

The moon festival takes place every year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

People usually make a giant tuanyuan, normally about one foot in diameter, for a family to share.

Apart from moon cakes, the locals also eat dumplings, set off fireworks and enjoy watching the full moon with their families.

Another important feature of the festival is the carrying of brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, or floating sky lanterns.

Li Hanqiu, a folk custom expert with China Society for the Study of Folk Literature and Art, said the Moon Festival was particularly significant for the Chinese as a symbol of family reunion, according to Xinhua.