Beijing's time-honored brands brought scores of their latest products to the third China International Import Expo, showcasing efforts to preserve traditional craftsmanship and meet new consumer needs.
With businesses ranging from food to traditional Chinese medicine, arts and handicrafts, 22 time-honored brands in Beijing took part in the CIIE earlier this month. The average age of the brands is more than 200 years old. Of them, 17 have a history of more than 100 years and 15 started trading in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911).
Luo Yingnan, brand manager of Bianyifang, a Beijing-based roast duck restaurant with a 600-year history, said:"There are two methods of cooking a roast duck in Beijing. One is hung-oven roasting that was popular in the industry. The other is closed-oven roasting. Bianyifang is the only brand using such a technique."
Many esteemed craftsmen from these brands demonstrated their skills to visitors at the CIIE.
Cai Wenke, a cobbler working for the century-old shoemaker in Beijing, Neiliansheng Shoes, showed the audience the process of nailing the upper of a shoe to its sole by hand."Our shoes are made in a process of nearly 100 steps. It usually takes five to seven days for a skilled cobbler to finish a pair," Cai said.
Beijing's Daoxiangcun Foodstuff took their pastries and snacks that maintain the traditional Beijing taste to the expo. Its signature product "Eight Treasures of Beijing" gained much attention from visitors.
The company said it was served to the imperial families in ancient China. After a 50-year hiatus, it returned to the market. The company launched a yearlong research into the recipe to restore its original flavor.
To date, more than 10 million boxes of this product have been sold, making it a calling card of the authentic Beijing flavor.
Visitors stopped at the booth of Beijing Daoxiangcun Foodstuff not just for the company's limited edition of "Eight Treasures of Beijing" in cooperation with the Palace Museum, but also a special snack developed for the CIIE with an image of the panda mascot on its packaging.
Geng Yingzhen, an official with the Beijing Commerce Bureau, said:"We are committed to creating a cultural feast integrating the exhibition, nostalgic items, and interactive and immersive experiences in order to wow Chinese and foreign guests with Beijing's cultural heritage and unique charm of these old brands."
Time-honored Beijing brands showcase their products and crafts at the CIIE.
