Moon cake stores soar up in Lhasa

　　BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet)-- With the annual Mid-autumn Day coming up, the number of moon cake stores has soared in the busy Niangre Road of Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

　　Mid-autumn Day is a traditional Chinese festival to celebrate harvest and family reunion on the fifteenth day of lunar August. People often eat fruits and the relish moon cakes of dozens of sweet fillings, and enjoy the glorious full moon on this day.

　　The picture shows a moon cake store in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, Aug. 31, 2009. (Xinhua Photo)

　　Some stores begin to sell moon cakes in place of other most common foods to grab market. People can buy moon cakes of types, tastes and shapes at different prices. The highest tag for a single "Emperor" piece could run to an outrageous 988 RMB (144.64 U.S. dollars), of course, those for 3 RMB apiece would be more welcome.

　　A dealer said she has bought a variety of moon cakes from other places, which have been already delivered in Lhasa and some of them are on display in her store. In addition, to satisfy customers‘ demand, she said she could also order the product directly from the manufacturers.

　　Instead of the previous straight transactions, moon cake dealers in Lhasa are welding traditional Mid-autumn culture into sale. One of the smartest even hung a huge eye-catching painting of fanciful reality in his store to help promotion.