Spreading the flavours of the port city

According to observations in the days leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival 2026, the atmosphere at the Dong Phuong Bakery and Confectionery store on Cau Dat Street in Hai Phong has been bustling. Customers continuously come and go, with some purchasing mooncakes for family use, others selecting them as gifts, while many buy in large quantities for distribution.

Notably, among the crowds visiting the store are many foreign tourists. In addition to the traditional flavours, new packaging designs featuring images and stories associated with Hai Phong have also aroused curiosity and interest among international visitors.

According to a representative of the Dong Phuong brand, customer traffic has steadily increased since before the full moon of the seventh lunar month. Since the beginning of the eighth lunar month, the store has entered its peak season and has been selling out almost every day.

At present, the prices of Dong Phuong mooncakes are publicly listed at the store, ranging from VND 70,000 to more than VND 2 million depending on the type, size and weight. Gift box collections are typically priced from VND 550,000 per box. The 900-gram mixed filling carp-shaped mooncake is sold at VND 750,000. The brand's representative also noted that mixed filling mooncakes remain the best-selling product and are regarded as the variety that defines the distinctive flavour and identity of Dong Phuong mooncakes.

In an interview with Newspaper of Industry and Trade, Ahmed Al-Mansoori, a tourist from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said he decided to purchase Dong Phuong mooncakes after local residents recommended them as a traditional product widely loved in the city. He noted that the cakes also make distinctive gifts that reflect Vietnamese cultural traditions.

"I am quite impressed and genuinely surprised by the popularity of the store. The large number of local people choosing Dong Phuong mooncakes demonstrates the brand's well-established reputation," Ahmed Al-Mansoori said.

The visitor from Dubai also shared that he plans to taste the mooncakes himself and purchase them as gifts for relatives and friends when returning home. For him, this is also a way to bring along the flavours and culinary culture of Viet Nam and introduce them to people in his home country.

Renewing designs to meet consumer preferences

In addition to attracting tourists, Dong Phuong has long been a familiar brand among many Hai Phong residents. Tran Van Huy, a local resident, said he has remained loyal to the brand because it has established a solid position in the market and earned the trust of consumers over many years.

According to Huy, the appeal of Dong Phuong mooncakes stems first and foremost from their quality and distinctive flavour. Traditional product lines have maintained their unique characteristics while continuing to suit the tastes of multiple generations of consumers. This is also one of the reasons many customers return each Mid-Autumn Festival season to buy the cakes for family gatherings or as gifts.

In addition to product quality, the company has increasingly invested in packaging design. Mooncake boxes are carefully crafted and incorporate images and distinctive symbols of Hai Phong, such as the "moon-viewing train" associated with the "Food tour Hai Phong" journey. These designs not only create a unique identity for the product but also convey stories about the land, culture and people of the port city to recipients. The combination of tradition and modernity has further enhanced the attractiveness of Dong Phuong mooncakes.

"Dong Phuong mooncakes are not only enjoyed by Hai Phong residents during the Mid-Autumn Festival but are also widely chosen as gifts for relatives, friends and business partners. The quality remains consistent, while the packaging has become increasingly elegant and sophisticated, making the products well suited to gift-giving purposes," Huy said.

Founded in 1950, Dong Phuong continues to hold a recognised place in the traditional confectionery market with its baked and glutinous rice mooncakes made through a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern production technologies. According to the brand's representative, product quality remains the core value, while packaging, design and customer engagement approaches are continuously renewed to better meet market demand.

Over more than seven decades, Dong Phuong's reputation has been built upon product quality and enduring cultural values. From being a traditional gift symbolising family reunion, each mooncake also carries stories of the port city, connecting generations and helping bring Vietnamese cultural identity to international friends.