Nantong Kaiyuan Food Co Ltd, a food stuffing manufacturer in Rudong county, Nantong, is currently preparing for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

The stuffing produced by the company will mainly be used for making mooncakes, a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival snack.

The company has received more than 40 million yuan ($5.62 million) in orders, according to the company manager.

Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (Sept 13 this year) and is the second most significant holiday in China after the Chinese New Year. It is a celebration of togetherness and family unity when the moon is at its fullest. Traditionally, people will eat mooncakes while gazing at the moon, as mooncakes were originally served as a sacrifice to the moon. 

The word "mooncake" first appeared during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The snack is now commonly given as a gift to loved ones and represents a desire to be together during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Workers package mooncake stuffing for Nantong Kaiyuan Food Co Ltd on Sept 10. [Photo/rdxmt.com]