Auspiciously designed to please and preserve

Personal observation over the years in China, I have seen genuine improvements in the retail packaging of tea.  China has a great history of exotic, elaborate and expensive packaging for gifts.  The recent trend in Moon Cakes ( yuèbing  月饼 ) given and received as gifts during the mid-autumn festival is a classic example.
 

The contents remain modest and the packaging, as beautiful as it is, does naught to preserve the contents,  rather they promote the “Giver” (in their mind) providing additional status as a wealthy person capable of such an extravagant gift.   I like this festival time in China and enjoy going to the various sales outlets (mostly hotels) that try to trump their neighbors in the presentation and packaging of Moon Cakes. There is no subtlety here; hotel – large KTV – drunk businessmen – buy expensive gifts ..
On to a development that, I feel, exemplifies the ability of presentation packaging to convey all the aspects of: beauty, extravagance and practicality. Inside the  matching carry bags are the presentation Boxes.
When emptied, in themselves they don’t yield to an after use as container for collectables or Knick-knacks.
They are purpose built, proudly announcing  the contents and house the same.  In the RED, a set of SIX (lucky number sounds like wealth)  small tins/caddies. containing NINE  (an auspicious number, sounds like longevity) small individual tea packages. The BLUE set has THREE  (lucky, sounds like Growth-Alive)  caddies with Nine packs each

Inside each pack there lies another surprise:….
Inside each vacuum packed foil pouch the tea is housed in an inner clear bag.
All of this ties to a very harmonious gift that also serves to keep the treasured tea at its best.