Round head and head, thick eyebrows and big eyes, clear black and white...... A bowl of "Panda Tangyuan" was put on the table, and its charmingly naive appearance attracted diners to take out their mobile phones to "shoot first for respect". With a gentle bite, the soft, glutinous and sweet taste will easily conquer people's taste buds.

"Panda Tangyuan" is a creative product launched by "Chinese time-honored brand" Lai Tangyuan in combination with the regional characteristics of Chengdu and the consumption preferences of young people. Now it has become the "popularity king" of its online and offline sales. In 2023, 700000 "Panda Dumplings" will be sold in total, and the sales will reach 1.8 million yuan.

Lai Tangyuan's "Panda Tangyuan" is very popular with consumers. (Courtesy of respondents)

Lai Tangyuan, which was founded in 1894, is popular among Chengdu people because it does not spoil the skin, reveal the stuffing, or muddy the soup when cooking, and does not stick chopsticks, teeth, or taste greasy when eating. After a hundred years of inheritance, continuous evolution and innovation, it has become a famous snack in Chengdu.

"Whether it's a dumpling, or a Wonton, or a piece of tofu, we have retained the traditional production skills. In the face of changing consumer demand, we have also actively responded through cross-border cooperation and other ways." Hu Jiafeng, chairman of Sichuan Chengdu Catering Company, which has nine "time-honored brands", such as Lai Tangyuan, Long Wonton, Zhong Dumpling, said.

"With the support of the government and its own efforts, time-honored brands are gradually becoming the backbone of 'national trend' consumption." Yang Ni, director of the circulation industry development department of Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce, said, "Through innovative development and active participation in the market, many time-honored brands have successfully transformed into 'trendy products' favored by modern consumers, showing a new look of perfect combination of tradition and modernity."

During the May Day holiday, there was a long queue in Chengdu Museum. Tourists from all over the country are not only attracted by the rich cultural and museum exhibits in the museum, but also interested in a series of vivid cultural and creative products. In the exhibition area of Tianhe Yinlou, a "time-honored Chinese brand" in the museum, exquisite gold and silver souvenirs are warmly welcomed by everyone.

Tianhe Silver Tower is an old brand in Chengdu, and it is also a national intangible cultural heritage - "Chengdu Silver Flower Silk Making Skills" municipal school. "Inheriting 'old craftsmanship' is not to stick to the old things." Tian Shiqiang, a master of arts and crafts in Sichuan Province and general manager of Tianhe Silver House, said that time-honored brands should also have new ideas.

In recent years, Tianhe Silver House has further developed its cultural and creative business on the basis of doing a good job in traditional gold and silver jewelry. In particular, it has cooperated with several museums to create a series of metal jewelry and handicrafts that integrate design and art, classic and fashion, tradition and innovation, and are popular with young consumers.

"Teacher Fu, who has worked for decades, and imaginative young people work together in creation, design, and production, can create different sparks." Tian Shiqiang said that the company has also introduced 3D printing production equipment, and many creative ideas can be applied to specific products, which can not be achieved by relying solely on traditional techniques.

At present, there are 125 "China Time honored Brand" and "Sichuan Time honored Brand" brands in Sichuan. With the confidence of "old" and the creation of "new", these time-honored brands have shown great vitality.

Pioneer soy sauce will create a new scene of integrated consumption of business, culture and tourism that integrates tourism, food tasting and outdoor research. The annual output value of the new intelligent production base is expected to exceed 6 billion yuan, realizing "small soy sauce industry". Zhang Fei Beef has made an all-round layout of the "online+offline" market, actively expanded new media marketing channels, and achieved an operating revenue of 370 million yuan in 2023, with a year-on-year growth of 58.2%.

Yang Ni said that Sichuan has established a cascade cultivation system for time-honored brands, and will continue to increase policy support, continue to enhance the vitality of time-honored brands, enhance brand influence, and make time-honored brands the "top stream" driving brand consumption and "national trend" consumption. (Reporter Hu Xu, Lu Youyi)