Review: LEGO 40643 Jade Rabbit

May 25, 2023 | 1

As we head into the second half of the year, we’re greeted with the next 2023 LEGO Seasonal set – 40643 Jade Rabbit!

I was quite surprised for LEGO to step away from traditional Western seasons and holidays to take on a Chinese holiday instead, with this set being a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 29th September, so this set is released a little early, and will be available exclusively from LEGO Stores or LEGO.com, which you can tell from the box design which has the yellow strip on the side. It’s out on 1 June 2023 for most of the world, and 1 July 2023 for Australia.

It’s a cute little set, and for those with a cultural connection to the Mooncake Festival, this makes for a great little compact build that’s big on culture.

Who is this set for? Collectors of cute Seasonal LEGO set and for those who observe and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival

Special thanks to LEGO for sending this set over for this review.

40643 Jade Rabbit Set Details

Set number: 40643
Set name: Jade Rabbit
Pieces: 288
Retail Price:  US$19.99 / AU$29.99 / £18.99 / €19.99 / CAD$24.99
Theme: Seasonal / LEGO Store Exclusive
Release Date: 1 June 2023 (global) / 1 July 2023 (Australia)

This was a really fun build, and packs quite a lot of value for a US$19.99 / AU$29.99 set. There are two numbered bags in the set, and the set’s piece count – 288 can be considered an auspicious number (the number 8 denotes prosperity in Chinese) which is a really nice nod to Chinese tradition.

If you enjoy building small dioramas with cute brick-built animals, as is the case with most seasonal sets, you’ll have a great time with this set.

The set’s design is quite brilliant, as it’s not just a diorama scene, but is constructed on a snow skin moon cake.

Mooncakes are a baked Chinese treat, and are made and eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They’re quite sweet and the traditional version has a thick pastry skin, and filled with lotus seed paste and an egg yolkd, although there are plenty of colourful variations that exist.

This set is based on a white mooncake, which isn’t super traditional, but works from a design perspective.

The “star” of the set is a small white rabbit known as the Jade Rabbit, who lives on the moon and is a companion to Chang’e the Moon Goddess. It’s most often depicted pounding the elixir of life, and is represented here with a rod pounding a wooden bucket.

The Rabbit itself is quite static, although you can move the arms and ears, but it’s relatively fixed into position.

The Jade Rabbit is quite small, but its face is really cute and expressive.

Other elements of the Mid-Autumn Festival include a lantern hanging from a very small, but nicely designed tree. I really liked the curved trunk on the tree.

For a small set, I was also impressed by the landscaping, and this stream that winds through the set, which gives it an extra bit of visual punch, and dazzling blue colour.

To frame the scene, there is a full moon in the sky, obscured slightly by white clouds. The mid-autumn festival always falls on a full moon, and it’s depicted prominently here. It’s suspended via a transparent rod and I really like the “floating” effect.

Here’s how it looks from the back.

Oh but wait, we’re not done yet! As the design is based on a Mooncake, the set’s base opens up to reveal a cute little Easter Egg. Firstly, the dark tan-coloured filling does a great job of replicating the colour of the lotus paste on the inside as it swivels open.

And on the inside is a really adorable Easter Egg – two bunnies facing each other. There’s another special significance here, as the Mid-Autumn Festival is also tied to beliefs of love, matchmaking and finding your soulmate due to the fable of Chang’e and her tragic love story, so it’s cute to have 2 LEGO bunnies here ready to make more LEGO bunnies.

Last but not least, there’s also an orange egg yolk on the inside!

What I liked:

• Very cute seasonal diorama
• Nice to see Eastern cultures get represented in a seasonal set
• Plenty of Mid-Autumn and Mooncake Festival references and significance
• No stickers

What I didn’t like: 

• Only available directly from LEGO.com or LEGO Stores.

Final Thoughts

For someone who grew up celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, and as someone who really loves Mooncakes, this set was very satisfying to build and display.

LEGO small seasonal sets have always been a favourite of mine, as they usually pack good value, clever building techniques and are quite easy to display and appreciate, so it’s really nice to see a Chinese and Eastern holiday be depicted in a set like this.

If you are familiar with the customs and significance of the Mid-Autumn festival, this set feels extra special, and I really like the Easter Eggs hidden within, and the fact that it’s constructed like a scene taking place on a giant mooncake.

It’s cute, won’t break the bank and even if you don’t celebrate the Mooncake Festival, I think it’s a great opportunity as a toy and tool to learn about other cultures, just like the beloved Chinese Lunar New Year theme.

As it’s a LEGO Store or Online Exclusive, it isn’t the easiest set to get your hands on, but with all the upcoming releases in June 2023, I’d add this on to your wishlist to not miss out. Also, highly recommend trying a Mooncake, when they become available in September – check your local Asian superrmarket or Chinatown to find one!

Build [4] – A very pleasant and engaging build, especially the landscaping portions
Real Value [3] – Reasonably priced and you get a decent-sized display model
Innovation [3] – A great way of incorporating other world celebrations into the Seasonal theme
Coolness [4] – I’m a little biased because I LOVE Mooncakes, but this is definitely one of the more memorable seasonal sets
Keepability [3] – A nice little diorama that you can display close to the Mid-Autumn festival

Rating and score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰

Thanks for reading this review of 40643 Jade Rabbit! The set will go on sale on 1 June 2023, and will be available exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO Store.

Do you know much about the Mooncake Festival/Mid-Autumn Festival? Do sets like these appeal to you?

To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.