WE KNOW it’s still Ghost Month, but it doesn’t hurt to do a bit of planning before this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, scheduled to fall a month from now on Sept. 13.

Today we’re presenting some hotels with early-bird promos — or early availbaility — for Mid-Autumn festival planning.

The festival has been celebrated since the rule of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). It marked successful harvests during what was believed to be the biggest moon of the Autumn season. In later years, the festival would be used to honor the moon goddess Chang’e, who drank an elixir of immortality meant for her hero husband, Hou Yi. The elixir caused her to float up, up into the sky, all the way to the moon, separating her from her husband and effectively leaving her in exile. It is believed that when the moon was at its biggest, as it is during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chang’e was closest to her husband.

It is a tradition to eat mooncakes during the festival. One mooncake is meant to be divided into four — either for reasons of scarcity back then, or due to its high caloric content (about 890 calories per mooncake) — but then there’s a legend that it was once used during the Ming revolution to pass on messages stamped on the cakes’ pastry skin, to be assembled later as a puzzle.

MARCO POLO ORTIGAS
In celebration of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s fifth anniversary, its Cantonese restaurant Lung Hin will showcase a limited edition bag which guests can gift to loved ones and friends along with its featured mooncakes.

Lung Hin’s authentic mooncakes are created in, and imported directly from, Hong Kong. This season’s treasures are available individually at P798, in boxes of four at P2,888, and boxes of six at P3,888. The Marco Polo Ortigas Manila Limited Edition bag is available with a set of four mooncakes for P4,888.

This year’s featured flavours are red bean with double egg yolks and white lotus seed with double egg yolks.

For more information about Celestial Treasures and Lung Hin, contact 720-7777 or e-mail lunghin.mnl@marcopolohotels.com.

NEW WORLD MANILA BAY HOTEL
New World Manila Bay Hotel marks the start of Mid-Autumn Festival with a selection of handcrafted mooncakes. Guests may avail of mooncakes in different flavors such as red bean, red lotus, white lotus, and Five Seeds.

They are available at Li Li for P688 per piece or take home a box of four at P1,888 from now until Sept. 13.

Early birds get a 10% discount for orders made from now until the end of the month, Aug. 31. A bulk purchase discount of 10% applies to a minimum order of 30 gift sets, which comes with free delivery within a three-kilometer radius from the hotel. Club Epicure members can enjoy a 10% discount on orders.

For inquiries and reservations, call 252-6888 or e-mail dining.manilabay@newworldhotels.com.

SHANGRI-LA AT THE FORT
Shangri-La at The Fort’s Canton Road marries classic and contemporary flavors in its selection. The traditional flavors include pineapple, white lotus with salted egg yolk, red bean and pine nuts, mixed nuts, and black sesame while the contemporary flavors include matcha, ube macapuno and apple cinnamon. Prices for individual mooncakes starts at P388++ per piece.

Canton Road also introduces the Stellar Snow Skin Collection — soft, delicate and custard-filled mooncakes available in mango, salted egg yolk cream, and ube macapuno at P388++ per piece.

The mooncakes are also available in customizable mooncake hampers. Prices may vary depending on the content of the hampers.

The mooncake counter at the hotel lobby already offers custom Shangri-La boxes of four regular mooncakes (P2,888++), eight miniature mooncakes (P3,088++), and 12 miniature mooncakes (P4,088++). Guests may also purchase individual mooncakes and pick-up box and hamper orders at the counter too.

Orders are accepted until Sept. 12, with pick-up until Sept. 13. A seven-day lead time is required for bulk orders of 10 boxes or more. Golden Circle members can avail of 10% off on all mooncake boxes until Sept. 13.

For orders, reservations and further inquiries, call 820 0888 or e-mail cantonroad@shangri-la.com.

GRAND HYATT MANILA
The Grand Hyatt is offering a selection of Mid-Autumn treats specially created by Master Chef Carson Luo of No. 8 China House and Pastry Chef Saban Cavlak. The selection includes familiar favorites along with unique takes on the mooncakes.

There are traditional mooncake flavors like taro and lotus paste, and more unusual ones like Red Velvet and calamansi. The hotel also has pralines in lotus, red bean, matcha, mandarin, and lemon ginger created just for the festival. Available are boxes of two mooncakes (P1,388), four (P1,988), and four mooncakes with a bottle of wine (P2,988). Pralines are available at P988 for a box of nine pieces, and P1,988 for a box of 25.

Advanced orders are accepted until Aug. 31 with a 10% discount. They are available from Aug. 16 to Sept. 15.

Call 838-1234 or e-mail manila.grand@hyatt.com for orders and inquiries.

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