Published:  00:00 Thursday - September 20, 2007

The colours red and yellow blaze in the streets as shops gear up for the sale of moon cakes, the traditional fare for Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Vietnam. Children choose from many cakes in different shapes and sizes, from fish to turtles to pigs with sucking piglets.

The festival follows the lunar calendar and falls at a time when Mr Moon (Ong Giang) is most often spherical and bright. Homes are decorated with star-shaped lanterns and feature paper figures of laureate scholars and fruit displays of starfruit, persimmons and pomegranates with the addition of fragrant green rice (com).