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Shining spotlight on mooncakes
By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-09-17 07:31
The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, debate concerning mooncakes and whether they are over-packaged and over-priced has been raging for years.
Mooncake the Chinese delicacy is a must at the Mid-Autumn Festival. [baidu] |
Being a uniquely Chinese holiday - which began with the custom of worshipping the moon - the exchange of opinions happens mostly between Chinese people of different generations in various locations. But how do foreigners who live in China view the festival? Do they generally agree with old-timers, the traditionalists, or with the young reformers who want to adapt it?
As an old saying goes, bystanders sometimes have a clearer picture. So before the moonlight reunites loved ones, China Daily sampled opinions from a few expatriates who, in this situation, are outsiders looking in, looking at the same moon but with different takes on its implications and on the taste of mooncakes.
"The festival itself should be maintained. There's no way you should lose this festival," said Louise Cadieux, a media consultant for a Beijing-based French-language magazine. "But you should adapt it to the needs of our time."
Cadieux, who has lived in China for 11 years, said it was a huge waste of resources to put the cakes in such lavish boxes. It also adds to the deterioration of the environment and the pressure of pricing.
Another complaint she had was the fillings. "I don't mind that they're sweet, but nowadays few would love such greasy ingredients," she said.
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