China sees robust consumption of products related to Dragon Boat Festival

A worker arranges Zongzi at a food company in Ding'an County, south China's Hainan Province, June 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

As the Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, approaches, sales of products related to the traditional festival, which falls on June 10 this year, have witnessed rapid growth.

Currently, sales of zongzi, a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves and a time-honored delicacy that Chinese people eat during the festival, have almost doubled compared to the same period last year, with Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces claiming the top three spots, according to e-commerce platform data.

New flavors of zongzi have become a hit with people across the country. At some supermarkets and shopping malls in Jiangmen city, Guangdong Province, innovative varieties such as hawthorn fruit zongzi and durian zongzi have changed people’s perception of the traditional delicacy.

Over 20 new varieties of zongzi produced by a food company in Jiaxing city, Zhejiang Province, have hit the market. These products with brand-new flavors, which are both tasty and healthy, have gained the favor of dealers and become extremely popular.

While new flavors of zongzi provide more choices for customers, traditional flavors of the delicacy evoke a feeling of nostalgia.

At an intangible cultural heritage center in Jinyuan district, Taiyuan city, north China's Shanxi Province, employees have been busy making zongzi according to traditional methods in recent days to ensure supply for customers. These sweet zongzi are very popular among consumers.

A worker arranges Zongzi gift boxes at a food company in Ding'an County, south China's Hainan Province, June 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

In 2024, many companies are shifting from expanding zongzi exports to increasing their brand presence overseas.

This year, orders have been pouring in to Zhejiang Wufangzhai Industry Co., Ltd., a time-honored zongzi brand, with output more than doubling compared to last year.

Xu Wei, deputy general manager of the company, said that the recent launch of a digital workshop improves production efficiency by about 30 percent and ensures better flavor and more tender meat fillings.

According to the China General Chamber of Commerce, a national standard on zongzi, the world's first international standard for traditional Chinese seasonal foods, was released this year, creating new opportunities for zongzi to enter the international market.

To date, more than 30 varieties of zongzi from Chinese food companies have been sold to more than 10 countries and regions, up 18.5 percent year on year.