Mooncake Modesty

Public holiday today, courtesy of Mid Autumn Festival which celebrates harvest and a full moon. Traditionally people give each other mooncakes, small sweet pies usually filled with bean paste. In recent years the fillings and packaging have gone progressively over-the-top, all part of showing off one's wealth or casual bribery. But following the new government's crackdown on corruption, gold-encrusted mooncakes stuffed with shark's fin are out and regular is in. The country will probably still spend around £1bn on them though.