Ancient Chinese people regarded anything about "autumn" as a symbol of decline or an expression of sorrow. Interestingly enough, in fairy tales autumn is the time of transformation because the colors of leaves become vibrant in fall. "In the modern era, "autumn fairy tale" is associated with love and hope. A 1987 Hong Kong movie entitled "An autumn's tale" is a good example. The movie depicts a love story that is unlikely to happen in reality.  At the beginning of the story the main character (played by Chow Yung-fat) lived in the ghetto of China town, New York. After meeting with a girl from Hong Kong, Chow's attitude was dramatically transformed and since then he became a hard worker. At the end he owned a restaurant at the seashore. Fairy tale? Yes. But we need many autumn fairy tales to make life worth living. Next time when you meet an autumn fairy in Phoenix Faerie Festival, please look beyond her costume and remember that she represents hope and transformation.