About 30 tons -- or 20,000 parcels -- of moon cakes a day are being sent to inland areas in the lead-up to this year’s Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival.

This is twice the number compared with the same period last year.

Many Shenzhen residents send gifts to relatives and friends as the festival is a traditional time for family gatherings. Most people choose moon cakes as the most appropriate gifts for this festival.

Shenzhen’s postal department also adopted more convenient methods for customers.

Apart from a free packaging service, the department cooperated with moon cake companies to provide discounts.

The department has chartered a plane each day since Aug. 31 to deliver moon cakes to inland areas

(Shenzhen Daily September 3, 2003)