The Iron Moonhunter facts for kids
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| Author | Kathleen Chang |
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| Cover artist | Kathleen Chang |
| Language | English, Chinese |
| Genre | Children's Literature |
| Publisher | Children's Book Press |
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Publication date
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1977 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-89239-011-5 |
The Iron Moonhunter (Chinese: 追月號; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhuī yuè hào; Jyutping: Zeoi1 jyut6 hou6) is a short picture book for children. It was published in 1977. The book was written and illustrated by Kathleen Chang, who was also an activist. It tells a story that is like a Chinese-American myth. The story takes place in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1866. This was when the First Transcontinental Railroad was being built across America.
Contents
The Story of the Iron Moonhunter
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The story begins when Chinese workers arrived in San Francisco to help build the railroad. They faced many challenges from other workers. As they built the Central Pacific part of the Transcontinental Railroad, a terrible explosion happened. This blast, set by rivals, sadly caused some Chinese workers to lose their lives.
Three cousins, Kwan Ming, Kwan Cheong, and Kwan Hop, were among the workers. They bravely stood up to those who caused trouble. They felt they were honoring their ancestor, Kwan Kung.
Challenges and Loss
Later, more sad accidents happened. Kwan Hop fell to his death when his rope broke while setting blasting charges. Then, in the cold winter of 1866–67, Kwan Cheong got trapped. He was in a tunnel that collapsed under 40 feet (12 m) of snow.
The next spring, the Chinese workers started to see strange things. They saw the spirits of their friends who had died while working on the railroad. These spirits seemed restless and sad.
Building the Iron Moonhunter
One worker, Jeong Yum, felt very angry. He wanted the men to blow up the railroad and fight against their supervisors. But Kwan Ming had a different idea. He told everyone to be patient and proud of their work. "The railroad is our work," he said. "We will finish it because we Tong Yun (Chinese people) always finish what we start."
Kwan Ming then shared a special plan. He wanted to build a railroad just for the spirits. They would use leftover steel rails and scrap metal from old train crashes. This would create the Iron Moonhunter, a train shaped like a dragon. This special train would play a song to call the restless spirits:
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I am the thunder of the mountains.
I am the winds that croon to the moon.
I am the laughter that rides the winds.
I am the Moonhunter singing my tune.
Come along when you hear my song.
Come along, come along.
The Moonhunter's Journey
After the spirits were reunited with their loved ones, the workers kept building the railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Iron Moonhunter would stop to help anyone in need. The legend says that the Iron Moonhunter still travels the tracks today. It continues to help Chinese people in America.
Legacy of the Story
The Iron Moonhunter story has inspired other creative works.
A Musical Adaptation
The story was turned into a musical called Walking the Winds: American Tales. This musical was created by Calleen Sinnette Jennings, Mary Hall Surface, Eric Wilson, Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas, and Deborah Wicks La Puma. The Kennedy Center asked them to create it. The musical first showed in 1996.
Company Name Inspiration
A film production company called Chonk Moonhunter got part of its name from this very legend. The company was started by Curtis Choy.
