Admiring the moon from 40,000ft

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For hundreds of years the Chinese have looked to the skies to admire the glorious full moon during the Mid-Autumn festival. A view of the moon from the ground is no doubt impressive, but the view from a plane is simply unforgettable. That’s why people are now taking to the skies to enjoy this stunning sight from a closer vantage point!

The best time to see the moon in all its glory is between 6pm and midnight on the night of the 15th (that’s next Thursday!) But with 1823 flights taking off around China during this time, how can you know which one to choose?

Ctrip, one of China's leading online travel service providers, has crunched the numbers and picked 76 flights on 10 different routes that will give you the best chance to admire the moon. Here they are:

Shanghai⇔Beijing

Kunming-Xi'an

Hangzhou?Beijing

Beijing?Shenzhen

Guangzhou-Beijing

Nanjing-Shenzhen

Changsha-Beijing

As the Mid-autumn holiday is just around the corner, those discerning travelers who always want to explore something novel and exciting can start booking a premier seat to view the moon high up in the sky, if you happen to travel the above routes.

Moon viewing tips:

In order to take in the best view of the full moon, you’ll need to work out which direction you’ll be flying. If you’re heading to the north or east, you’ll want to be sitting on the right side of the plane. Conversely, for flights heading south or west, the left side is the best place to be.