Not the same. It's lunar so changes every year, this year is September 12. Next year Sept 30 so it will in practical terms get folded into National Day holiday. Traveling in China over Zhongqiujie is fine--there is locally very heavy urban traffic day before and after, as everybody with cars wants to do a weekend trip to some scenic spot near their cities. Sort of like an American 3-day weekend on steroids. The main danger of ZQJ is to residents and expats who, besides having their patience tested, may receive those !@#$% mooncakes as gifts. :)

I actually managed to get a ride in one of these things in late May 2011! Was waiting to hail a cab on Xindong Lu outside the Tayuan Diplomatic compound, when the first empty one to stop happened to be one of these. Complete serendipity. It is true the legroom is fantastic and there is a fold-down seat for additional passengers. You could seat 4-5 adults (able-bodied, no wheelchair) comfortably for in-town distances (though I think normal taxi limit of 4 passengers applies to these also). Driver (no English spoken) was really enthusiastic and friendly and a very good driver also. I got the impression that the taxi company carefully selects drivers that are a cut above, to have the honor of driving these.

I would say though, that they really are not substitutes for vans to the Great Wall or anywhere else:
1) They take the handicapped cab (of which there are only a couple dozen+) temporarily out of circulation for people in wheelchairs who really need them--and that is not nice for the able-bodied to do this just so they can have more legroom. :td:
2) A van allows all passengers to face forward in a more natural position. For trips to the Great Wall and outside Beijing, it's infinitely more comfortable to do this rather than sit stagecoach style.

BTW, I have ridden in plenty of the London traditional black cabs before, and it's not quite the same experience. For one thing, London cabbies know where they are going. :p

guilty
 

I am guilty of these 2 reasons,
- yep, take the kid to school from Haidian to Chaoyang, 25 minutes at 7am, only 36rmb, cheap.. But at 3:30 its an hour+ & 45 rmb back, so maybee subway line 10 friday . (yesterday in "Haidian" almost a fight by 3 ladoes for my taxi when i got out..)

-Moon cakes for Zhonqqiujie, $$$. I have received 11 so far, & only 2 left in inventory today.. but 3 days to go to deliver . ( also 3 cards & a case of french wine for ZQJ gifts this week, so +14 )

Speaking of moon cakes, there is a line 250 meters long stretching out of Jing'an Temple right now. Apparently, the moon cakes sold there are "blessed". :)

We'll be arriving in Beijing on Sept.14. Will this whole moon cake thing be over by then? I'll be sorry to have missed it...:(

Over by monday. You might be lucky to get some moon cakes, as they are all being sold off with heavy discounts the following days. Although - I seem to be the only foreigner actually liking mooncakes :D

So, I should look on the clearance racks for any leftover moon cakes? :D How long before they get stale? (Or do they last forever, like Christmas fruitcakes? :p )

Trust me, unless you have family in China, you aren't missing anything. And, don't worry; if you really crave moon cakes (in spite of my user name, I can't imagine liking those things, but to each his own), you'll have no trouble at all scoring some at a deep discount.

How great is the western equivalent pumpkin pie?
Not quite as creative.

I LOVE pumpkin pie! Now I'm determined to track down some of these moon cake things :D

We are in the SF Bay Area and there are lots of boxes of mooncakes in the local Asian grocery stores that have Chinese clientele. Friends have told us that the local Costco is also selling them. -- We have been gifted the moon cakes and they are pricey. A good cup of Pu erh tea helps to cut the richness of the cake which we will cut into quarter portions.

The filllings of the cake range from sweetened bean with or without a rich duck yolk to a nutty mince-meat type... creative! Pumpkin pie can't touch these guys. IMHO another acquired Asian taste.

moon cake
 

here is an update;

IMO the best BJ moon cake's are the "dao xiang cun" , 110 g & about 20 different flavors, priced at a local bakery at 10-14 rmb each. The suzhou, or macau types might be fake.. All moon cakes have date codes, mostly made in August..

The big box's each have 6, 8, 9, or 10 cakes usually in several flavors.

So, look for net weight, brand, & date code, other than the snazy packaging.

Expect the good brands to be gone a day after ZQJ day, only the fake ones, or old hotel type cakes will be discounted. Wallmart has mini moon cakes, 25g, for 1.35 rmb, & the sale today on big boxes was buy 1, & get 2 free. They said that all will be gone from the shelves after the ZQJ holiday.

My inventory, 3 more box's delivered to me today, & 2 box's went out the door, but i did keep the Haagen-Dazs cakes, the box had 4 cakes @ 390 g total.

Moon cakes are basically business favor gifts, friends do not gift the cakes, & relatives eat the cakes !


Taxi's & traffic are nuts today in BJ as its raining on a holiday weekend...

Hm, bird's nest and century eggs in a pumpkin pie? Good idea...

Isn't one of the main purposes of the mid-Autumn/full moon festival also in China to pay homage to ancestors spirits?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival

BTW, growing up eating mooncakes I can assure you all you aren't missing too much.