Modern mooncakes and inflatable lanterns 'eroding Mid-Autumn tradition', traders say

As hundreds of revellers gathered at Victoria Park to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival last night, traders worried that modern products like inflatable lanterns and "snowy" mooncakes were eroding tradition.

"Sales of traditional lanterns have been in decline," said one Wan Chai toy shop owner. "Children nowadays buy only the new inflatable lanterns." Other retailers said their bestselling lanterns in recent years were those based on cartoons, such as the latest Disney films.

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And it's not just toys. The shift from traditional to contemporary festive fare is also having an impact on mooncakes. New offerings include the "snowy" variety, which are unbaked and frozen with a glutinous rice casing.

"Our profit went up 10 per cent this year," Leung Suet-yee, of Wing Wah, said. "The three new mooncake products we introduced this year certainly helped [to boost sales]. Customers often buy some of the new products for themselves when they're buying the traditional ones as gifts."