On 10/23/2015 at 9:07 AM, Deryn said:The Chinese Communist Party has just banned their 88 million members from indulging in gluttony and moon cakes (along with other noxious things like golf and philandering). I gather there may be a whole lot fewer moon cakes on the market in China next season (or a whole lot of contraband).
The clampdown on mooncakes isn't new. I mentioned it in this thread in September 2014. See post #374 above.
It was getting ridiculous. Bribing some with a new Porsche became too dangerous, so instead give him a box of moon cakes (containing a 'gift voucher' for a new Porsche.) Everyone records the gift as a box of mooncakes and everyone is happy. It happened.
Since Xi Jinping became General Secretary of the party in 2012, there has been a clampdown on many facets of the food industry. The hotel and restaurant industry is especially hurting. Lavish banquets held, at public expense, by middle-rank civil servants because the wind was in the right direction and the chicken entrails looked promising are now banned. Even when a banquet is deemed appropriate, the number of dishes allowed is now extremely curtailed.
There were many restaurants solely catering for this corrupt market, which are now struggling or have already gone to the wall.
Similarly over-lavish wedding and funeral banquets are outlawed and more simple events held instead, again hurting the restaurant venues.
The previous system was unsustainable as people tried to outdo the last with more and more expensive mooncakes or 'gifts'. Most people I have spoken to are quite glad to see the new policies.
Mooncakes won't disappear. They will just become more sensible.
