Sweet and salty, both north and south, more diversified consumption of Dragon Boat Festival Zhongwei City | Traditional | Zongzi
The battle between sweet and salty has ended, Zongzi is no longer alone, and dragon boat races are in full swing... This year's Dragon Boat Festival has a stronger charm of traditional culture, in which everyone can find their own holiday fun.
"You no longer have to worry about the taste of your hometown. In the past, if you wanted to eat meat zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival, you could either make a simple version yourself or have it mailed to your family and friends. Now, not only is it convenient and fast to purchase through e-commerce, but you can also buy it in physical stores offline." said Wu Yun, a Zhejiang native who works and lives in Shaanxi Province, who is the most intuitive experience of the cultural exchange and integration between the north and south during the Dragon Boat Festival. "Now many Zongzi gift boxes are salty and sweet. We exchange food with colleagues and friends. Everyone takes what they need and will no longer 'argue' over the taste." Wu Yun is right. The Zongzi consumption insight data of an e-commerce platform shows that this year, in addition to traditional jujube, bean paste and other fillings, the proportion of meat Zongzi with "southern taste" has increased by 1.2 times, and the sales of meat dumplings in the north have increased significantly.
While the taste is increasingly diversified, the price of Zongzi is also more suitable for young and old people. Whether it is online e-commerce or offline stores, Zongzi is not only affordable for a few yuan, but also "high-end goods" with abalone, black pork and other fillings. Undoubtedly, Zongzi has become a highlight of the Dragon Boat Festival consumer market in recent years. The White Paper on Consumption and Brand Status of China's Zongzi Industry in 2023 shows that the consumption population of Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival will reach 82.7%, and the total market volume is expected to increase by 15% in 2023.
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On June 20, the community and the masses made Zongzi together under the police of the court of Pingluo County, Ningxia. Photo by Yang Wenxi, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
The Dragon Boat Festival is no longer a simple "Zongzi Festival", but a colorful "chorus" of Dragon Boat Festival elements. From colorful bracelets, to finely crafted sachets, to the mellow and mellow realgar wine... more and more products related to traditional Dragon Boat Festival culture are beginning to "fly into ordinary people's homes.". According to data from an e-commerce platform, categories such as mugwort and realgar wine related to the Dragon Boat Festival have entered comprehensive hot sales. For example, sales of Wucai rope have increased by more than 11 times year-on-year since June, with young users aged 16 to 25 accounting for 80%. Zhang Jing, who is engaged in the sales of cultural and creative products such as colorful ropes, said, "Each one sells very well. In the past, it was mainly bought by elders for children, but now many young people will buy and wear it, which is very fashionable."
"The child saw the dragon boat race on their phone and kept clamoring to go to the venue. I tried to search and it was really something new in our northern region. It was really amazing to watch the dragon boat race on site for the first time." Zhou Ke, a resident of Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, said that he and his child watched the dragon boat race on site for the first time at the 16th Ningxia Games held in Zhongwei City. In recent years, with the rapid development of the economy and society and the increasing awareness of national sports, the joyful and hardworking "dragon boat" has sailed out of Jiangnan and headed towards the whole country. "It can be said that the dragon boat movement has no geographical distinction in China now. At present, many parts of the country are holding various dragon boat competitions in full swing." Sun Pingbo, vice chairman of the China Dragon Boat Association, said that in recent years, dragon boats have become more and more popular in the north, and have been integrated and innovated according to the unique geographical environment of the north.
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On June 16th, at the scene of the 16th Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Games Mass Group Dragon Boat Competition. Photo by Yang Wenxi, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
The Dragon Boat Festival also ignited the Internet virtual economy market represented by online games. From various Dragon Boat races held in combination with the game content, to encouraging players to exchange gifts for props such as Zongye, sachets, Zongzi through games, to game skins and illustrations rich in Dragon Boat elements... Many game players said that the increasingly strong traditional cultural elements in recent years have made online games more interesting. Chen Rui, a college student from Ningxia who didn't go home during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, said, "Several of my favorite games have Dragon Boat Festival activities, and I'm sure I'll have a great time playing them these three days. It's not like being 'lonely, lonely, and cold'."