Mooncakes, a traditional delicacy gifted to families and friends
during the Mid-Autumn Festival, have become an important ingredient
in maintaining business and work relations.
With the festival falling tomorrow, the reception areas of
almost every office building are overflowing with boxes of
mooncakes.
The traditional festival has become a Chinese Christmas of
sorts, topping other occasions for giving or receiving gifts.
"We send presents to our clients during the Mid-Autumn Festival,
rather than the Spring Festival," said Elsa Wang, who works for a
public relations firm in Beijing. The company started budgeting
months earlier and has been delivering mooncakes as early as a
month ago.
"It doesn't matter how much a package costs.... Mooncakes are
the best way to say: Let us keep in touch."
Lin Jian, a guest writer on the Financial Times Chinese
website, wrote that the consumption of mooncakes has one simple
purpose - to maintain relationships.
"How many mooncakes one gets measures his intangible value," Lin
wrote in his column. "The more coupons you receive, the more
respect you have."
The market has reacted to the increasing demand with expensive
packages to lure high-end consumers. In Changchun, one vendor sells
a box for 1,800 yuan (US$240) with a golf club as a complimentary
accompaniment.
About 250,000 tons of mooncakes were produced last year with
revenue exceeding 11 billion yuan (US$1.42 billion).
(China Daily September 24, 2007)
