Mid-Autumn Festival is a time of sharing and warmth.

Mid-Autumn Festival market is deserted

This year, the moon cake market has few buyers. Photo: TP

The full moon day of August is approaching, but the moon cake market in Nghe An is still in a quiet, gloomy state. Along the main streets of Tran Phu, Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai... a series of cake stalls have been set up for the whole month, with bright signs and billboards, but customers are few and far between, many places sell less than a dozen cakes a day.

This year, big brands such as Kinh Do, Huu Nghi, Bao Ngoc, Maison… launched many diverse products, from traditional cakes to less sweet, less fat cakes, modern flavors such as chocolate, matcha, melted salted eggs. Some businesses also invested in technology to improve quality, rich cake fillings, combined with nutritious nuts. However, consumption is still very slow, especially in the luxury gift segment when businesses and consumers are tightening spending.

Not only is purchasing power poor, the recent consecutive storms have also severely affected many cake stalls. In Thanh Vinh ward, some stalls had their steel frames blown down by the wind, their tarpaulins torn, causing additional damage and repair costs. On many days of heavy rain, stalls had to move their cakes into storage and stop selling, leading to more unsold goods. Ms. Nguyen Hien, a small trader on Ho Tung Mau street, shared: "During the storm, we were forced to close, which not only cost us time to clean up but also increased transportation costs, but even after moving out, sales were still sluggish. Customers now mainly buy online, at competitive prices, with home delivery."

A deserted bakery stall in Thanh Vinh ward. Photo: TP

Along with cakes, the market for mid-autumn toys is also gloomy. Star lanterns, lanterns, drums, masks... were imported in large quantities since the beginning of the month, but so far they have only been sold in small quantities. In Hoang Mai ward, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tho's shop imported more than 200 bamboo star lanterns and many other types of plastic lamps and decorative accessories worth more than 50 million VND, but by the time the mid-autumn festival was near, less than half of them had been sold. The shop owner admitted that this year she had imported more cautiously, but the inventory was still high.

Ms. Tho said: “Knowing the storm situation, I proactively imported less goods than every year. However, up to now, the amount of goods sold is very “drop by drop”, even though it is close to the full moon day.”

hard to sell — Mid-Autumn Festival toys are also selling slowly. Photo: TP

If every year, the lion-dragon dance team has a full schedule from the 10th to the 15th of the 8th lunar month, this year there are only a few orders. Entertainment shows such as Uncle Cuoi, Sister Hang, magic, puppetry, trimming the food trays... all have fewer orders. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nam, the owner of an art service group, said: "Every year the schedule is full from the beginning of August, this year only a few agencies and units have placed orders, the rest have cut down the program."

It can be seen that the mid-autumn market in Nghe An has never been as gloomy as this year. Goods are abundant, designs are eye-catching, prices are stable, many places even have strong promotions, but purchasing power is weak, stalls are still empty. In the context of the storm and flood, many families are still trying to overcome the damage, worrying about practical life, moon cakes or entertainment services are therefore no longer a priority.

Mid-Autumn Festival of humanity and solidarity

Mid-Autumn Festival 2 — A school in Cua Lo ward organized a "Sharing Mid-Autumn Festival" where instead of giving gifts or breaking the cake, the children brought cakes, instant noodles, milk... to give to children in flood-affected areas. Photo: CSCC

The main reason for this slump comes from the consecutive storms and heavy rains, causing flooding and heavy damage in many localities in Nghe An. In that context, authorities at all levels, organizations, and schools have simultaneously announced the suspension of the "Full Moon Festival", the organization of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the concentration of all resources to overcome the consequences of natural disasters. That creates a different picture of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Many children, instead of eagerly waiting for gifts at their parents' offices, were happy to know that those gifts were sent to friends in flood-affected areas. Nguyen Le Thuc Uyen, Cua Lo ward, expressed: "This year, my parents said we won't have a party because the gifts will be for children who are suffering from storms and floods. I'm also happy because those gifts will reach children who are suffering from many disadvantages due to storms and floods."

Meanwhile, many organizations and volunteer groups do not buy moon cakes to distribute but choose clothes, books, and milk to send to poor children. “A cake worth 70-100 thousand VND can be exchanged for a set of books or a warm coat. That is a much more practical gift for children in flood-affected areas,” said Ms. Minh Huong, head of a volunteer group in Quynh Luu commune.

Hung Nguyen Nam Commune Police give Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to children in especially difficult circumstances. Photo; PV

Notably, many lion-dragon dance teams, which are usually fully booked from the 10th to the 15th of the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, are now free due to the lack of orders, and have found ways to "light up" the moon season in a very different way. Many young teams have come together to flooded schools and heavily damaged coastal areas to perform for free, raise funds for charity, and bring unexpected joy to children.

The bustling drum performances and colorful lion dances are no longer commercial performances, but have become spiritual gifts to warm the hearts of children after a long day of overcoming storms and floods. Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nam, leader of the lion and dragon dance group in Vinh City, said: "This year's performance schedule is almost empty. We discussed doing free dances for children in flooded areas, both to encourage the drumbeat and to call for more support from the community. Looking at the smiles of the children, everyone feels happy, it is more meaningful than the performance contract."

Early Mid-Autumn Festival for children in My Ly flood area. Photo: CSCC

Not only art troupes, many parents also brought their children to participate in giving gifts to disadvantaged areas, so that the city's children could feel the joy of sharing. On the muddy roads, the relief truck rolled, interspersed with boxes of moon cakes, new clothes and school bags. Many children shouted with joy when receiving the gifts. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival did not disappear, but appeared in a simple form, full of human love.

For small traders, even though their goods are slow to sell, they do not complain. Many people proactively donate moon cakes to charity, and save the toys to sell next year. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, Dai Dong commune, said: "The most important thing right now is to share with people in times of trouble. A little loss is okay, as long as we overcome the difficulties together."

Although the market is sluggish, the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere is still present in the eyes of children when receiving relief gifts, in the smiles of children in the mountainous areas when receiving new clothes and notebooks, or simply when they celebrate together under the moonlight in the school yard that has just been restored after the flood. Although not as brilliant and bustling as every year, the Mid-Autumn Festival 2025 in Nghe An still has a complete meaning: it is a Mid-Autumn Festival of humanity, of solidarity and warm sharing./.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/trung-thu-am-tinh-se-chia-10307643.html