Time-honored 'zongzi' brand sticks to tradition

ICH inheritor Hu Jianmin [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Hu Jianmin is the fourth generation inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage. He said that a zongzi wrapping technician needs to train for five months. Many technicians have worked at Wu Fang Zhai for more than 20 years, and the fastest record is wrapping seven zongzi in one minute.

New techniques, crafts and products are put forward now and then in the research and development department in the company's industrial park. But Hu stressed that the integration of modern technology should be done while respecting tradition, and the formula and process of zongzi making never changes.

The company's zongzi has "137 kinds of classy stuffing, 56 kinds of secretly-made seasonings, the nine-string wrapping technique, as well as more than 4,000 people's persistence, that means the flavor of Wu Fang Zhai zongzi never changes", said Liu Yue, a manager of Wu Fang Zhai. "We will stick to our hundred-year experience in ingenuity, and strive to be a guardian of traditional Chinese food."

Now Wu Fang Zhai not only makes zongzi, but also related products, including mooncake, salted egg, pot-stewed fowl and snacks. It has also collaborated with China's multiple online marketplaces, such as Taobao and Juhuasuan, to expand its online market share.

To stay current, Wu Fang Zhai also collaborated with Disney and has put forward a Star Wars-themed zongzi package this year.

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