The moon has been one of the most important elements of inspiration in Chinese poetry. Chinese people, especially the poets worship the moon and have magnified the moon in countless poems. In many of them, the moon is the emotion carrier of the yearnings towards purity and beauty, the longings for family and love. (Chinese-at-ease) 

Here are a couple of moon-themed Chinese poems you should know. Both poems are from Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD), a period which witnessed the flourishing of Chinese poems.

“Quiet Night Thoughts” (静夜思) by poet, Li Bai (李白, 701–762 AD). Li Bai, as Bob mentioned, is one of the most prominent Chinese poets from his own time till present days. His works are full of passion, imagination and also elegance. Even today, his “Quiet Night Thoughts” is one of the must-know and it is often one of the first poems learned by children.

I wake, and moonbeams play around my bed,

Glittering like hoar-frost to my wandering eyes;

Up towards the glorious moon I raised my head,

Then lay me down — and thoughts of home arise.

“Looking At The Moon And Thinking Of One Far Away” (望月怀远) by another Tang poet, Zhang Jiuling (张九龄, 675-740 AD). Apart from being a noted poet, Zhang Jiuling was also a prominent minister and scholar of the Tang Dynasty, serving as chancellor at his time.

The moon, grown full now over the sea,

Brightening the whole of heaven,

Brings to separated hearts

The long thoughtfulness of night….

It is no darker though I blow out my candle.

It is no warmer though I put on my coat.

So I leave my message with the moon

And turn to my bed, hoping for dreams

“Leave my message with the moon.” Such a lovely thought. And artists Olafur Eliasson and Ai Weiwei gave us an opportunity to do just that. Which brings me to the main reason for this post.

The Moon Project - The Mission: Draw on the moon!

Artists Ai Weiwei and Olafur Eliasson's collaborative art project, Moon, creates a shared online canvas, allowing a global audience to leave their individual mark in the form of drawings. 

‘moon’ is a digital canvas, which invites individuals to draw on its surface, whether it be a phrase, a doodle, a thought, a greeting — your mark acting as a catalyst for further communication between you and the rest of the universe, whoever is out there. (Chin)

It is a place where people from anywhere on Earth can connect through drawing. It exists beyond the art world, beyond borders, beyond traditional ideas of authorship and value.

“Turn nothing into something – make a drawing, make a mark. Connect with others through this space of imagination. Look at other people’s drawings and share them with the world. Be part of the growing community to see how creative expression transcends external borders and internal constraints. We are in this world together. Ideas, wind, and air no one can stop. […]mark the passage from nothing to something and from thinking into doing. Leave your fingerprint and see the shared moon grow as others reach out too. Let’s show the world that together our marks matter. Creativity defies boundaries.” – Ai Weiwei and Olafur Eliasson

Ai Weiwei stated: “The moon, like the Internet, in many ways exists beyond the reach and control of the government, and thus provides a perfect metaphor for their experiment in mass mobilization. “It’s the idea that the moon represents something unconscious from society” Eliasson also mentioned that, “The moon is interesting because it’s a not yet habitable space so it’s a fantastic place to put your dreams." … “The moon is really about a feeling we have of space, in that it doesn’t have any boundaries. Doesn’t have any walls. Doesn’t have any religious boundaries, or political boundaries” (vice creators)

“From any point of view, the moon carries our imagination. Any culture, history, or religion can sense that,” says Ai. “But the scientific landing showed it’s just cold rock there, which quickly destroyed all of the beautiful ideas and imagination people had about the moon.”

I’m not sure I agree. The moon still holds plenty of magic and poetic mystery for me. But their Moon project is pretty cool.

Check it out! Moon

More info:

Creators Project

Ai Weiwei: Moon

Ai Weiwei is the most famous Chinese artist living today. He is involved in art, design, sculpture, architecture, curating, photography, writing, film, and social, political, and cultural criticism. His activities are mainly focused on freedom of expression and ways to support human rights and social justice.

Ai Weiwei's father was Ai Qing, one of China's most renowned poets. 1958 he and his family was exiled to farms in northeast China, and then in 1959 transferred to Xinjiang by the Communist authorities. During the period of the Cultural Revolution he was forced to work daily cleaning the communal toilets for his village of about 200 people. This had an effect on Ai.

Be sure to take a look at his extensive body of work.