Handmade mooncake bakeries in Henan and Shanxin are speeding up production for both traditional and new flavors as the Mid-Autumn Festival draws closer.

In Xiangcheng City of central China's Henan Province, a local mooncake shop is a hive of activity ahead of the upcoming festival. The owners have introduced a variety of mooncake fillings, while allowing customers to bring their own ingredients to make customized mooncakes.
"We can sell hundreds of kilograms of mooncakes every day, and sometimes almost 5,000 kilograms. Besides the traditional five-kernel mooncake, we also have egg yolk, pepper salt, and beef-flavored mooncakes," said shop owner Song Xuan.
In Henan's Shangqiu, a handmade mooncake bakery is working full tilt to cater for diverse customer preferences, with the bakery introducing options such as sugar-free mooncakes.
"We open at 6 a.m., and the customer flow doesn't stop until evening. We can sell around 300-400 kilograms of mooncakes every day now," said bakery keeper Cao Tongbing.
In Xiangning County of northwest China's Shanxi Province, the distinctive "hollow mooncakes" are in high demand. These mooncakes are known for their crispy crusts and hollow interiors filled with melted and caramelized nuts, raisins, and sugar.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the night when the moon reaches its fullest and brightest on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.