Industrial Prosperity Leading the Way, "National Snacks" Shaxian | Snacks | Industry
The key to rural revitalization is to choose industries that benefit the people according to local conditions. We must seize opportunities, broaden our horizons, adapt to market demand, continue to explore innovation, and lead the way in creating a new journey of a better life.
In early summer, in Shaxian District, Sanming City, Fujian Province, downstream of Shaxi, a tributary of the Minjiang River, there is a gentle breeze and swaying vegetation. In the early morning, before the sun had risen, the local snack street was filled with fireworks, and the chefs began their busy day early. Shaxian District has been a gathering place for merchants and merchants since ancient times, and the famous Shaxian snacks originated here.
The key to rural revitalization is to choose industries that enrich the people according to local conditions. We must seize opportunities, broaden our horizons, adapt to market demand, continue to explore innovation, and lead the way in creating a new journey of a better life.
Thanks to its rich variety, convenience, and quick turnover, Shaxian snacks have become a true "national snack". From small workshops to large factories, from carrying hands to chain operation, from going out of the mountains to going global, after thirty years, Shaxian snacks have finally become a billion dollar industry.
In recent days, the research team of Guangming Daily has gone deep into various places in Shaxian District, Sanming City, conducting on-site investigations on local cadres and masses, remembering their instructions, striving for innovation, comprehensively promoting high-quality development, and promoting the experience and practices of Shaxian snacks to continue to lead the way.
1. Searching for roots and flavors, using culture to retain smoke and fire
In May, Yubang Village is surrounded by distant mountains and flowing water. Under the stone wall at the entrance of the village, a thousand year old camphor tree winds and coils. Not far away, the words "Sha County Snack First Village" attract attention.
At the "Snack Folk Culture Museum" in the village, visitors come in constant stream. "The snack culture in Shaxian has a long and rich history, which is directly related to the multiple southward migration of the Central Plains population after the Sui and Tang dynasties. The northern customs and dietary habits, as well as the local food system based on rice and potato and taro, have continuously integrated, forming a unique Shaxian cuisine culture." Zhang Weihua, Secretary of the Xiamao Town Party Committee in Shaxian District, introduced.
Following the strong aroma of fireworks, we arrived at the root seeking and savory snack street in the village. On the antique gate tower here, lanterns filled with the names of various snacks are hung high, welcoming visitors from all directions. In front of the "Xiamao Yugao" snack shop, 72 year old shop owner Yu and Chuanzheng stood in front of a thick wooden chopping board, smashing the pork on the table with a wooden mallet. It took a while for the meat filling to be considered complete. "Lao Yu has been running a snack shop for more than 20 years, and his flat meat craftsmanship is pure and authentic," praised the familiar villagers.
"My wife and I used to open a shop in another city, and we traveled all the way to do the same." Yu He said, "A few years ago, I had to go home to take care of my grandson, so I entrusted my son to take care of the local snack shop and opened it at home.". "Nowadays, more and more tourists are coming to Yubang Village for tourism, and many of them are returning customers. When business is good, the daily revenue can be three to four thousand yuan." Speaking of this, Yu and Chuan laughed.
As Yu He once said, the cultural and tourism signboard of "Shaxian Snack First Village" is slowly being "launched". It is reported that in 2022, Yubang Village received over 500000 tourists, with an average income of over 30000 yuan per villager and a collective income of 516000 yuan.
In Xiamao Town, it is not only Yubang Village that has gained popularity through its snack culture, but neighboring villages have also entered the "race" side by side under the leadership of Yubang Village. As the main village for joint construction, Yubang Village collaborated with 5 village party branches and two non-public enterprise party branches to form the Yubang District Party Committee, paving the way for rural revitalization with snack culture as the root and coordinated development in the area.
"With delicious food, we are also thinking about how to keep tourists here to further experience the local customs of Yubang Village and the unique culture of Xiamao Town." Zhang Weihua said that currently, Yubang District is actively cooperating with Shaxian Snack Culture and Tourism Group to activate idle "housing" and "land" resources, creating new business formats such as homestays, specialty stores, catering stores, and rural night scenes.
Nowadays, the long-standing snack culture in Shaxian County has not only been inherited, but has also undergone new development:
At the Shaxian Snack Culture Museum, visitors can experience the game of making Shaxian snacks under VR cameras, and feel the cultural heritage behind the more than 1600 year old Shaxian snacks. Open the "Sha County Snacks" page, with one map of Yubang Village, three tourist routes, 19 interactive attraction introductions, and a digital commemorative collection hidden at the bottom of the attraction details, forming the "Sha County Snack Metaverse". Scanning the logo of Shaxian snacks can summon the IP characters "Shabao" and "Slow Stew" of Shaxian snacks.
The main products of Shaxian snacks, such as mixed noodles and Steamed dumplings, have been successively made into hand gifts and entered into supermarkets and online channels. There are over 100 varieties of snack related products developed locally, including tableware, tissues, and snacks.
The increasingly trendy snack culture in Shaxian not only retains old customers but also attracts the new generation. On May 19th, the Chinese famous snack cultural and tourism carnival was launched in Shaxian District, attracting thousands of tourists to come and explore the roots and taste. While tasting various delicious foods, people also deeply feel the cultural code of "integrity, diligence, resilience, inheritance, and innovation" hidden in Shaxian snacks.
2. Innovation and upgrading, promoting industry quality and efficiency improvement
Driving out from the exit of Fuyin Expressway in Shaxian District, you can see the quaint and elegant buildings scattered all over. This is the "Shaxian Snack Culture City". In the cultural city, the 12 big characters "origin, orderly inheritance, and innovative methods" are very prominent. In just 12 words, it explains the fundamental reason why the snack industry in Shaxian County has continuously innovated and improved, achieving a big leap from shouldering the "flat meat pole" to launching brand chain stores.
Entering the production workshop of Fujian Xinmanyuan Food Technology Co., Ltd., the four newly invested production lines of Xiaolongbao are in operation. The product is steamed, sorted, frozen, and packaged before being stored and refrigerated. The entire production process is strictly executed in accordance with standardization. The produced Xiaolongbao are being loaded by workers in an orderly manner and sent to Shaxian snack stores across the country, major supermarkets and farmers' markets in Fujian Province.
"The workload of the past 200 people can be completed by more than a dozen people now." Jiang Yangxin, a post-95 young entrepreneur and general manager of the company, said that in recent years, Shaxian snacks have overcome the difficulty from traditional production to industrial production. At present, dozens of product lines have been developed, such as gold wrapped silver, Xiaolongbao, which greatly enriched the restaurant dishes and reduced the difficulty of food preparation.
"The reason why Shaxian snacks are famous all over the world is because snack owners make and sell snacks on the spot, ensuring that diners can enjoy authentic cuisine. However, this also brings problems: inconsistent product standards and insufficient production capacity." Zhang Xin, director of the Shaxian Snack Management Committee, told the research team that in recent years, Shaxian District has launched the construction of a snack industry park, explored the standardization and industrial production of snack varieties, and formed a one-stop Shaxian snack specialty food industry chain.
Gathering chains through parks has accelerated the development of the snack industry in Shaxian County. The Shaxian Snack Industry Park, located 12 kilometers east of the Shaxian Snack Culture City, covers an area of 2600 acres and has settled in 24 food processing and supporting enterprises such as Xinsha Yipin, Xinmanyuan, and Zuiyoucai, involving upstream and downstream industries such as frozen snacks, semi-finished products, and pre made dishes. Just for the category of dumplings, 150 tons are distributed daily through cold chain grids to various parts of the country, with an annual output value exceeding 300 million yuan. Last year, the park expanded again and introduced seven large food enterprises, including Chef God Food, Star Fresh Point, and Chunbaiwei. It is expected that the industrial park can achieve an annual output value of over 500 million yuan and a profit and tax of over 10 million yuan.
The industrialization development has brought impetus for product innovation to Shaxian snacks. The head brand of Shaxian snacks, Chunbaiwei, has made an extension and innovation in classic categories. "New faces", such as vigorous low-fat chicken flat meat, werewolf Zhajiangmian, and magic 560 old hen soup, have deconstructed the flavor and taste type of traditional flavors, and targeted and combined people with different tastes. Zuiyoucai Company has developed over 50 types of composite sauces, which can produce 3 tons of sauces per day. This year, the company has identified business opportunities and developed 11 freeze-dried instant food products, including Shaxian mixed noodles, dried loach powder, and salted duck powder. "These new products enrich customers' choices and experiences, allowing more people to taste the taste of Shaxian without leaving their homes," said Yan Fahui, General Manager of Zuiyoucai Food Technology Co., Ltd.
In recent years, Shaxian District has also explored the transformation and upgrading of the Shaxian snack industry, relying on the Shaxian snack group headquarters to establish branches in various regions, open snack chain franchise stores, and promote the standardized operation, standardized implementation, and chain operation of Shaxian snack companies.
Unifying trademarks, clothing, storefront decoration, and product standards, gradually promoting the central kitchen production model... The new business model has gradually changed the low-end quality phenomenon of "husband and wife stores".
On May 20th, at the training center of Zuiyoucai Food Technology Co., Ltd. located in the Snack Culture City of Shaxian County, students were attentively watching the master make beef noodles. Lin Xiaolan, a student from Putian, listened while taking notes. She said that Shaxian snacks, a national snack brand, are becoming increasingly popular nowadays, and she plans to return to her hometown of Putian to open a store after completing her studies.
"At present, our company mainly recruits and trains outstanding employees, supervisors, and store managers of the Shaxian snack system to the public, and conducts innovative snack making skills training and overall snack store operation improvement training. Yan Fahui told the research team that this year, the center has trained more than 3000 people, and has also replicated the training model to cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Zhongshan, providing support for product innovation, talent training, and business management.".
Chain operation has promoted the digitalization process of the snack industry. In recent years, relevant departments in Sha County have focused on the transformation of their store checkout and settlement systems, and have digitally upgraded their franchised snack shops, injecting new impetus into their business development. The application value of data mined and collected from stores continues to expand. By analyzing the operational status of snack stores in Shaxian through digital means, we can not only improve the level of store management, but also provide data support for innovation of snack products and standardization of dishes in Shaxian. This forces suppliers to strictly control food safety and quality, and plays a positive role in improving the level of the entire industry and supply chain.
Recently, Sanming held a special meeting on the development of the snack industry in Shaxian County. Huang Ruxin, Secretary of the Sanming Municipal Party Committee, pointed out that currently, Shaxian snacks are facing significant development opportunities. We must seize the opportunity, accelerate development, and make every effort to promote Shaxian snacks towards branding, standardization, grouping, and digitization, injecting new momentum into the construction of high-quality demonstration areas in the Sanming Revolutionary Old Area.
Standardized production, industrial development, branded management, and digital empowerment have not only accelerated the transformation and upgrading of Shaxian snacks, but also promoted the steady development of the snack industry. It is reported that there are nearly 90000 snack shops in Shaxian County across the country, with nearly 300000 employees and an annual turnover of over 55 billion yuan. It is worth mentioning that there are now over 3900 standard chain snack stores in Shaxian, and the owners and managers of these chain standard stores are mainly young people. "More and more young people are joining the snack industry in Shaxian, which makes us' Old Shaxian people 'very happy. I firmly believe that Shaxian snacks will be passed down and further developed in the hands of young people, generation after generation." said Huang Fushong, Honorary President of Shaxian Snack Industry Association.
3. The taste of blessings is continuous, reigniting a trend both domestically and internationally
In 2022, Shaxian Snacks jointly launched the brand's first advertisement "Come to Fujian to Enjoy the Taste of Happiness" with the official Fujian Culture and Tourism Bureau. The debut of this advertisement is the top stream, and the Internet has triggered enthusiastic praise from netizens, which has also made Shaxian snacks popular again at home and abroad.
Seizing the opportunities brought by the cooperation between Shanghai and Sanming, Shaxian District actively promotes the entry of Shaxian snacks into Shanghai's universities and government canteens, and participates in the construction of the Shanghai breakfast project. 120 franchise stores in Shanghai have achieved digital transformation and upgrading, striving to make Shaxian snacks a model of cooperation.
On February 18th, the flagship snack store in Shaxian, Beijing opened for business. It includes a new retail area for Chinese famous snacks, an intelligent kitchen area, a display and operation area, and a catering area. It is a food complex that integrates catering, cultural and creative, social services, and new retail, fully presenting the strong vitality of the development of Shaxian snacks in the new era. The flagship store not only enriches the food map of Beijing, but also becomes a Chinese snack platform, supply chain platform, industry empowerment platform, and cultural empowerment platform, marking the official entry of the Shaxian snack industry upgrade into the 2.0 era.
Not only popular domestically, but also popular in many countries and regions, Shaxian snacks that go abroad are also popular. In recent years, Sanming City has introduced relevant policies to actively help Shaxian snacks go abroad and participate in international competition. Thanks to the "the Belt and Road" construction, 66 countries and regions around the world such as Japan and France have Shaxian snacks. Shaxian snacks, as national snacks, are endorsing Chinese cuisine.
Many French diners have fallen in love with Chinese cuisine at the Sha County Snack Restaurant in the city of Courboux, Paris, France. This is the first Shaxian Snack Standard Store opened by overseas Chinese Lin Jianbin in the local area.
"The taste of Shaxian snacks is very in line with the dietary habits of the French. We have combined local characteristics and developed new products such as chicken filling and flat meat, which are very popular." Lin Jianbin said that in his spare time, he tasted red wine and ate Shaxian snacks with friends, becoming a romantic choice for many locals.
In just 5 hours after opening at Takata Racecourse in Japan, the Shaxian Snack Shop's revenue exceeded 200000 yen, equivalent to approximately 11700 yuan in Chinese currency. The first Sha County snack shop to settle in the United States had a long queue on its first day of operation, with less than 3 hours of operation and all specialty foods sold out.
Recently, at the "Overseas Chinese Food Prosperity Leaders and Technical Directors Seminar" hosted by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the People's Government of Fujian Province, representatives of Chinese food enterprises from 15 countries and regions including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Singapore, and Brazil conducted in-depth research and experience learning on the snack industry in Shaxian. The representatives left a deep impression on Shaxian's snack industry, which enriches the people, adapts to market demand, and takes the path of standardization, chain, industrialization, internationalization, and digitization.
4. Experience and inspiration for strengthening and developing the snack industry in Dasha County
Over the past two years, Shaxian snacks have accelerated their entry into urban commercial districts and government campuses, and have also become popular worldwide.Mainly reflected in several aspects——
Take the snack industry as a project to enrich the people. In recent years, the local government has focused on planning, establishing mechanisms, building platforms, and strengthening services. Sanming City has established a Shaxian Snack Industry Development Leadership Group, with the main leaders of the Municipal Party Committee as the group leader and the main leaders of the Municipal Government as the first deputy group leader. The Sanming Municipal Party Committee and Government, as well as the Shaxian District Party Committee and Government, have vigorously implemented the brand driven strategy from various aspects such as policy support, technical training, funding and credit, and guarantee services, focusing on cultivating the characteristic snack industry in Shaxian. The coordinated efforts of the government's "visible hand" and the market's "invisible hand" have effectively stimulated the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of the people in Shaxian to expand and strengthen the snack industry, effectively promoting the standardized, large-scale, and industrialized development of Shaxian's snack industry.
Always carry forward the spirit of hard work and hard work. Back then, snack practitioners in Shaxian left the fields that had been cultivated for generations and entered unfamiliar cities to make a living, relying on hard work. They not only created material wealth, but also cultivated the spirit of "being practical and daring to work hard". Nowadays, the people of Shaxian continue to carry forward this spirit, constantly innovating ideas, exploring markets, and looking at the world. It is with this precious spiritual wealth that the development of Shaxian snacks industry has entered the fast lane of development in the new era, spreading the Chinese food culture to all parts of the world along the "the Belt and Road".
Implement standardization, chain, industrialization, internationalization, and digital transformation and upgrading. In recent years, the local government has established a standard system for the entire snack industry chain in Shaxian, achieving standardization throughout the entire process from raw material cultivation, production and processing to store operation, and creating a "good taste" in Shaxian. Simultaneously implementing corporate operation and brand development, establishing a tripartite collaborative mechanism of "Shaxian Snack Industry Development Management Committee+Shaxian Snack Industry Association+Snack Culture and Tourism Group", restructuring and establishing Shaxian Snack Culture and Tourism Group and 23 subsidiaries, forming a company operation model that integrates the headquarters, subsidiaries, and terminal stores, and achieving organizational restructuring. In the past two years, Shaxian snacks have added more than 900 franchise stores, with a total of 3983 chain standard stores. In terms of digital construction, building the foundation of the supply chain platform, the Shaxian Snack Cashier Settlement System has been officially released. The Shaxian Snack Chain Supply Chain Service System has been connected to 2635 stores, and the headquarters can obtain real-time operational data from various stores. By utilizing the returned big data, the industrial layout can be optimized, further achieving refined management and adapting to market demand. Shaxian snacks and side dishes online line, formed a delivery platform work team, and provided agency operation services for 853 stores.
Promote industrial integration and development, and help expand overseas space. The local government actively cultivates a full chain snack industry in Shaxian County, covering production, planting, processing and sales, logistics and distribution, catering services, and cultural tourism and health preservation, promoting industrial production. Yubang Village, the first snack village in Shaxian County, has been rated as a national 3A level tourist attraction. Simultaneously promoting international brand building and protection. In 2022, Shaxian Snacks applied for international trademark registration in 10 countries including Thailand, Brunei, and Pakistan. Currently, the "Shaxian Snacks" trademark has been registered in 72 countries and regions, and has been approved for registration in 68 countries and regions.
A snack has laid the foundation for the development of Sha County; A snack will broaden the path of rural revitalization. While Shaxian snacks have achieved high-quality development, they have also become a vivid portrayal of the integration of the food industry into the trend of the times.
