(Photo : Online Store Sells Moon Insurance for Mid-Autumn Festival)

"No moon to enjoy during the Mid-Autumn Festival? You will be compensated for that." Recently, an online store promoted a Moon Insurance for the Mid-Autumn Festival for the first time ever. Customers will be compensated for not seeing the moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, as they must be upset about the absence of the moon when reuniting with their family during this special festival.  The store will pay up to RMB 188 Yuan to the customer who cannot see the moon in his/her city because of the bad weather.

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It is reported that there are two purchasing options for the Moon Insurance. Insurance A costs RMB 20 Yuan, allowing the insured to claim RMB 50 Yuan if he/she lives in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Shenzhen and doesn't see the moon because of the cloudy or rainy weather.  Insurance B, which is available in 41 cities, costs RMB 99 Yuan.  The insured who purchase Insurance B can claim RMB 188 Yuan.

According to Wang, owner of the online store, the purpose of selling Moon Insurance is to ensure people's happiness during the festival. "Appreciating moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival has already become an established custom. Whether there is moon or not has a great impact on people's feelings," said Wang. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 19^th. The standard of compensation will follow the weather information officially released on Weather China (www.weather.com.cn) during 18:00 pm, September 19^th, 2013, Beijing time to 2:00 am, September 20^th, 2013, Beijing time.

Will people buy such Moon Insurance? According to an interview, a few people indicated that they would not purchase the new insurance. "In fact, whether there is moon doesn't matter. Enjoying the festive atmosphere is the most important. So there is no need to spend money on such insurance," said Ms. Wei. The Moon Insurance leads to hot discussions online, receiving mixed reviews. Li Lin, an Internet user said, "I will purchase one Moon Insurance. At least I can see the money if I can't see the moon."