Mid-Autumn Festival filled with warmth and sharing.

Mid-Autumn Festival markets are deserted.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the mooncake market in Nghe An remains sluggish and gloomy. Along major streets such as Tran Phu, Ho Tung Mau, and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, numerous mooncake stalls have been set up for the past month, with bright signs and advertising banners, but customers are scarce, with many places selling fewer than ten mooncakes a day.

This year, major brands like Kinh Do, Huu Nghi, Bao Ngoc, and Maison have launched a wide variety of products, from traditional mooncakes to those with less sugar and fat, and modern flavors like chocolate, matcha, and runny salted egg yolk. Some businesses have even invested in technology to improve quality, offer richer fillings, and incorporate nutritious nuts. Despite this, sales remain slow, especially in the luxury gift segment, as both businesses and consumers are tightening their spending.

Not only is purchasing power weak, but the recent consecutive storms have also severely impacted many bakeries. In Thanh Vinh ward, some stalls had their steel frames blown down by the wind, and their tarpaulins torn, resulting in additional repair costs. During several days of heavy rain, stalls had to move their goods into storage and cease operations, leading to increased inventory. Ms. Nguyen Hien, a small business owner on Ho Tung Mau street, shared: “During the storm, we were forced to close, which was both time-consuming to clean up and increased transportation costs, but even then, sales were still slow. Customers now mainly buy online, with competitive prices and delivery.”

Along with mooncakes, the market for Mid-Autumn Festival toys is also sluggish. Large quantities of star-shaped lanterns, paper lanterns, drums, masks, etc., were imported at the beginning of the month, but sales have been minimal so far. In Hoang Mai ward, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tho's shop imported over 200 bamboo star-shaped lanterns and various plastic lanterns and decorative accessories worth over 50 million VND, but as the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, she has sold less than half. The shop owner admitted that she imported goods more cautiously this year, but inventory remains high.

Ms. Tho said: "Knowing about the stormy weather, I proactively imported less goods than in previous years. However, sales have been very slow so far, even though the full moon festival is approaching."

While in previous years, lion and dragon dance troupes had a packed schedule from the 10th to the 15th of August in the lunar calendar, this year they have received only a few orders. Entertainment acts such as the story of Cuoi and Hang, magic shows, puppetry, and carving traditional offerings have also seen significantly fewer orders. Nguyen Hoang Nam, the owner of an arts service group, said: "In previous years, our schedule was fully booked from the beginning of August, but this year only a few organizations and units have placed orders, and the rest have cut back on their programs."

It's clear that the Mid-Autumn Festival market in Nghe An has never been as sluggish as this year. Goods are abundant, designs are attractive, prices are stable, and many places are even offering significant discounts, but purchasing power is weak, and stalls remain deserted. In the aftermath of the storms and floods, many families are still focusing on recovering from damage and addressing essential living needs, so mooncakes and entertainment services are no longer a priority.

Mid-Autumn Festival of human kindness and collective effort.

The main reason for this subdued atmosphere stems from successive storms and heavy rains that caused severe flooding and damage in many areas of Nghe An province. In this context, all levels of government, organizations, and schools simultaneously announced the cancellation of the "Mid-Autumn Festival Night," halting Mid-Autumn celebrations and focusing all resources on disaster relief. This created a different picture of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Many children, instead of eagerly awaiting gifts and treats at their parents' workplaces, were delighted to learn that those gifts were being sent to their friends in flood-affected areas. Nguyen Le Thuc Uyen, from Cua Lo ward, expressed: "This year, my parents said they wouldn't be having a feast because the gifts would be for the children affected by the floods. I'm happy because those gifts will reach the children who are suffering greatly from the storms."

Meanwhile, many organizations and charitable groups are not buying mooncakes to distribute, but instead are choosing clothes, books, and milk to send to poor children. "A mooncake costing 70-100 thousand dong can be exchanged for a set of books or a warm jacket. That's a much more practical gift for children in flood-affected areas," shared Ms. Minh Huong, the leader of a charitable group in Quynh Luu commune.

Notably, many lion and dragon dance troupes, which usually have packed schedules from the 10th to the 15th of the Mid-Autumn Festival, are now idle due to a lack of orders and have found ways to "ignite" the Mid-Autumn Festival in very different ways. Many young troupes have come together to perform for free at flooded schools and in heavily damaged coastal areas, raising funds for charity and bringing unexpected joy to children.

The lively drum performances and colorful lion dances are no longer commercial acts, but have become a spiritual gift that warms the hearts of children after a long day of recovering from the storms and floods. Nguyen Hoang Nam, the leader of a lion dance group in Vinh City, said: “This year’s performance schedule is almost completely empty. We discussed performing for free for children in the flooded areas, both to offer encouragement with the drums and to call for more support from the community. Seeing the children’s smiles, everyone feels happy and it’s more meaningful than any performance contract.”

Not only performing arts groups, but many parents also brought their children to participate in distributing gifts in disadvantaged areas, so that city children could feel the joy of sharing. On muddy roads, the relief trucks rolled along, carrying boxes of mooncakes, new clothes, and school bags. Many children cheered with delight upon receiving the gifts. Thus, the Mid-Autumn Festival did not disappear, but was present in a simple form, brimming with human kindness.

For small traders, even with slow sales, they don't complain. Many proactively donate mooncakes to charity, saving the toys to sell next year. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha from Dai Dong commune said: "The most important thing right now is to share with our fellow citizens in need. A little loss is okay, as long as we overcome the difficulties together."

The Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere is still present in the eyes of children receiving relief gifts, in the smiles of mountain children when they receive new clothes and notebooks, or simply when they share a feast under the moonlight in the schoolyard, recently restored after flooding. Although not as vibrant and festive as in previous years, the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival in Nghe An still carries a complete meaning: it is a Mid-Autumn Festival of humanity, of working together and warm sharing.