Ahead of Jungchujeol, 'Expensive Wolbyeong Gifts' Spread
Some Cases of Price Deception to Avoid Crackdown
The Chinese government’s ban on high-priced mooncake sets costing over 500 yuan (about 90,000 KRW), which was implemented last year from Chuseok (Mid-Autumn Festival), appears to have had little effect as these sets are still selling like hotcakes.
According to China News Network on the 12th (local time), luxury hotels in major Chinese cities continue to sell high-priced mooncakes at a rapid pace. The Bulgari Hotel in Shanghai launched a set of four mooncakes priced at 888 yuan (about 161,000 KRW) and 988 yuan (about 179,000 KRW). Currently, the 988 yuan set is sold out online.
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, also released a mooncake set priced at 688 yuan (about 125,000 KRW) this year in collaboration with the Chinese luxury brand 'Duanmu.' Including the gift box option, the price rises to 818 yuan (about 148,000 KRW). Additionally, the ice cream brand H?agen-Dazs introduced mooncake sets priced at 999 yuan (about 181,000 KRW) and 698 yuan (about 126,000 KRW) this year.
Mooncakes are a representative festive food that Chinese people eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Just as Koreans eat songpyeon during Chuseok, Chinese people eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, companies compete by releasing elaborate mooncake gift sets. Ultra-luxurious mooncakes made with premium ingredients such as shark fin and truffles have also been popular every year, targeting the wealthy class.
However, since last year, the production and sale of mooncakes priced over 500 yuan have been restricted to eliminate extravagance and waste. Moreover, since high-priced mooncake sets have often been used as bribes, luxurious packaging has also been limited. According to government regulations, the use of precious metals or other high-end materials in mooncake packaging is prohibited.
Top-tier hotels and online stores are ignoring these regulations. Some places are reportedly setting different prices to evade crackdowns. An online seller offering mooncakes from a five-star hotel listed a set of four mooncakes at 488 yuan (about 88,000 KRW). However, during the actual payment process, selecting certain options causes the final purchase price to double.
The Chinese government plans to strengthen enforcement. Chinese authorities stated, "We will closely cooperate to enhance market patrols and monitoring, improve supervision and inspection capabilities, and suppress illegal activities."
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