Who eats moon cakes that cost more than ten million dong?

It is the limited edition Super VIP box with Emperor lotus tea and Hanoia lacquer tea box in the collection called “Heritage Memories” of Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel (one of the oldest and most luxurious hotels in Hanoi). This is the most expensive moon cake box launched in the market during this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival to date.

Among the "big guys" in this year's mooncake product line are many other types in the above collection, such as the VVIP lacquer box of 6 cakes (each cake weighs 100g) with Emperor lotus tea and jasmine tea priced from 8,600,000 to 9,290,000 VND; the VIP box of 6 cakes (each cake weighs 100g) and a bottle of Vieux Saint Andre St Emilion 2019 priced at 6,600,000 VND.

The 5-star hotel in Hanoi - InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 this year also launched a moon cake box with a unique appearance for 4,880,000 VND.

Besides the most luxurious hotels in the capital, traditional mooncake brands also do not miss this year's exciting race. This year, Kinh Do's most expensive mooncake box is called "Black & Gold Diamond Moon" with a price of 5,000,000 VND...

I wonder, what is in these mooncake boxes that makes them so expensive?

Through research, I learned that the most expensive cake box this year has flavors including: lotus seeds and macadamia nuts; green tea and sunflower seeds; orange marmalade and Grand-Marnier; traditional mixed; black sesame and sunflower seeds; green beans, apricots and salted eggs. These flavors are nothing special compared to what I know, except for the Grand-Marnier, or the tea boxes attached. But with promotional words like "under the hands of talented artisans", "exclusive recipe", and "recreating the classic elegance of the Indochina period and the eternal charm of old Hanoi"... the cake box has such a shocking price.

The same goes for expensive cake boxes from other hotels, besides accompanying foreign wines like Chivas Regal XV, Vieux Saint Andre St Emilion… or premium teas, perhaps what they sell is the brand, the story related to the product. Like what Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi did, linking the product with the story of memories, with the heritage, the Indochina period.

The most expensive mooncakes do not belong to mooncake brands but to high-end hotels. And with such “sky-high” prices, it can be understood that those boxes of cakes are only for those who can afford to stay in 5-star hotels. Some people also think that people who spend money to buy such super expensive products do not simply eat them. In the introduction and sales of brands, there are always sentences like: high-end gift line…

In fact, these types of products are often bought as gifts. What the public is concerned about is that when given as gifts, but not for relatives, are the boxes of cakes simply filled with cakes, tea, foreign wine, or are there other things included? And after receiving the cakes, do the recipients have to “pay back a gold bar”? If after giving away boxes of cakes worth tens of millions of dong, the giver receives business opportunities, information, a “nod” that can decide the life of the business or corporation… then those boxes of cakes are no longer just gifts during the Tet holiday.

In recent times, the fight against corruption has continued to be promoted by our Party and State on all fronts. And as General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed: "We will continue the fight against corruption and negativity without stopping, without stopping, without forbidden areas, without exceptions, regardless of who the person is...", we must start with many things, including restoring the purity of moon cake boxes.