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.
Traditional handmade mooncakes see surge in popularity in Henan, Shanxi
Multiple handheld pager explosions struck Beirut and the southeastern and northeastern regions of Lebanon on Tuesday, leading to a temporary internet shutdown in the southern suburbs of the capital city, according to China Media Group (CMG) reporter Ci Xiaoning.
"I am currently at the entrance of a major hospital in Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Around 15:30 today, there were several explosions in the southern suburbs of Beirut. My Lebanese colleague, who lives very close to the area, experienced an immediate loss of internet connectivity. Reports have since confirmed that many handheld pagers were involved in the explosions," Ci reported outside a hospital in Beruit.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad confirmed that the explosions resulted in at least nine deaths and about 2,800 injuries, with approximately 200 people in critical condition. The injured are being transferred to hospitals.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it is conducting security and scientific investigations to identify the reasons behind these explosions, adding that the group is "at the highest level of readiness to defend Lebanon and its people."
In a separate statement, the Shiite group blamed Israel for "this criminal attack," vowing to retaliate.
The Lebanese Council of Ministers stressed that the government, shortly after the deadly explosions, began contacting the concerned countries and the United Nations to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Israel has yet to comment on Tuesday's blasts. According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a security assessment meeting at the HaKirya military base in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to address the implications of the explosions.
CMG reporter says internet shutdown following deadly pager blasts in Lebanon
