Hot pot industry booms in Hechuan district, SW China's Chongqing

The hot pot industry in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has seen a remarkable growth and gained widespread popularity. This growth was achieved through the development of various industry chains, including the production of base ingredients, seasonings, and other hot pot ingredients.

Since 2022, the city's Hechuan district has set its sights on establishing a thriving hot pot industry with an output value of 100 billion yuan ($14 billion).

In September 2022, the Chongqing Hot Pot Ingredient Industry Park was unveiled in Hechuan, with a planned total land area of 10 square kilometers.

The efforts put into developing the hot pot ingredients industry in Hechuan have yielded positive results.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the local hot pot ingredients industry chain’s output was valued at 23 billion yuan, a 24 percent increase. The food and agricultural product processing sector’s output also rose by 10.13 billion yuan, or a 25.7 percent rise.

Li Yanwu from the Chongqing Hot Pot Ingredient Industry Park said Hechuan is known as the "granary of Chongqing." It has been leading Chongqing in terms of grain production, the number of pigs slaughtered, and aquatic product output for many consecutive years.

The cultivation of vegetables, Sichuan pepper, and other crops has also experienced substantial growth, ensuring an ample supply of high-quality raw materials to develop the hot pot ingredient industry.

A scale model of a production base of Chongqing Meixiangyuan Industrial Group Co., Ltd., which specializes in the production of compound seasonings for hot pot. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

Chongqing Meixiangyuan Industrial Group Co. Ltd. specializes in the production of compound seasonings for hot pot. The company primarily sources agricultural raw materials from Chongqing and Sichuan Province. It has established a Sichuan pepper base in Fengjie county, Chongqing, and signed chili pepper purchase and sales contracts with enterprises in Chongqing's Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County and Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County.

"We adopt the order-based agricultural planting mode to promote the integration of the primary and secondary industries," Li explained.

This year, Hechuan established 15 hot pot ingredient cultivation and breeding bases, contributing to rural revitalization and the discovery of more agricultural products.

As the largest beef omasum production base in southwest China, Hechuan produces 35 million kilograms of beef omasum annually, accounting for about one-third of the national capacity.

Chongqing Kaihong Food Co. Ltd. produces a wide range of products that cover the entire hot pot ingredients industry, with beef omasum accounting for over 60 percent of the company's offerings, according to general manager of the company, Gou Zhiqiang.

Photo shows beef omasum products from Chongqing Kaihong Food Co. Ltd. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

Gou's company sources raw materials globally and distributes products worldwide. Hechuan's convenient transportation system allows for easy access to raw materials from northwest China and other countries. The processed products are efficiently distributed nationwide and to international supermarkets, according to Gou.

Since the beginning of this year, Hechuan has prioritized the development of enterprise clusters as the key driver for the growth of the hot pot ingredients industry.

It has introduced 46 key projects, with a total investment of 6.7 billion yuan. Out of these, 12 projects have already been completed and put into operation, nine projects have commenced construction and six projects are being expedited.

A worker installs equipment at the factory of a food company in Hechuan district, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

The main structure of a hot pot culture street along Jialing River has been completed. (People's Daily Online/Liu Zhengning)

A Chongqing hot pot museum, currently under construction, is set to open its doors to the public in June 2024.