How did "Daoxiang Village" become ubiquitous?

Is there always a Chinese pastry shop near you called "X Xiang X" or "XX Village", such as " 稻香村", " 桂香村", " 稻香春"... these stores Basically, they maintain the Chinese-style decoration with traditional Chinese colors such as red or yellow as the main tone. The roasted aroma from the storefront is endlessly plucking the nose and taste buds.

Have you ever wondered how such a store name can be formatted in a unified manner and spread across the country? This contains a history of the development of Chinese pastries.

landed in Suzhou Daoxiang Village, Suzhou, and opened the "X Xiang X" paradigm first

The source of the "X Xiang X" or "XX Village" naming paradigm should be the "China Time-honored Brand" founded in 1773-Jiangsu Daoxiang Village, Suzhou, a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage protection unit.

Suzhou Daoxiang Village was born during the Qianlong period, which is a testament to the affluent life of that era. Water transport developed to the highest peak during the Qianlong period. Located in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal , Suzhou, which was the hub of water and grain transshipment, reaped the benefits of water transport and canal commerce, and became the "fashion capital" of all of China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The traveler of the late Ming Dynasty Wang Shixing said: “Those who think the Suzhou people think are elegant, then the Quartet will be elegant. Those who are vulgar will follow the vulgarity.” It can be said that Suzhou people are the "fashion life homes" of the Ming and Qing dynasties. .

Affluent and discerning consumers, sitting on the canal, can purchase high-quality raw materials from the country, Suzhou has a long history of pastry making, and the surrounding Wuyue area has produced a large number of famous chefs and gluttons... In this series of backgrounds Under the circumstances, Daoxiang Village, which was born in Suzhou, eventually grew into a master of Soviet-style cakes. The “Suzhou Tea Restaurant, Daoxiang Village is the most famous” included in the “Suzhou Historical Records Collection” published in January 1996 in the “Suzhou Tea Restaurant, Daoxiang Village is the most famous.”

(Photo: Suzhou Daoxiang Village Qing Dynasty period restoration map)

It is also mentioned in the article "Qing Barnyard Banknotes · Honey Decoction",Candied fruit was originally called honey decoction, "It is the same as Tong, Guang, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but the one made in Suzhou Daoxiang Village is particularly good."

A pastry brand recognized by Suzhou consumers, it is naturally "all directions and elegant", and imitators of Daoxiang Village have appeared all over the country. This situation is no different from the various "Pierre Cardin" and "crocodile" that appeared in the national market in the early stage of reform and opening up, which made French and Italian brands confused. They all took advantage of consumption. The reader's yearning for a better lifestyle cut a wave of "leeks."

During this period, the prosperous Soviet-style pastry industry also provided human support for the counterfeiters in the "Daoxiang Village". Take Suzhou Daoxiang Village as an example. Suzhou Daoxiang Village has always implemented a “handling system”. Historically, every major product in the Suzhou Daoxiang Village workshop has a master as the person in charge of technology, training, quality control and production. The title of master continued until 1956 before the public-private partnership. In order to prevent the leakage of technology and pass it on from generation to generation, he will serve as a master in Daoxiang Village, Suzhou for life. He and his owner choose apprentices with both ability and political integrity to teach skills, and each generation generally does not exceed 3 people. This means that only a few people in each generation can become the inheritors of skills recognized by Suzhou Daoxiang Village, and the large number of apprentices or workers who have learned Soviet pastry skills have become the target of Daoxiang Village counterfeiters.

At this point, the thriving Suzhou Daoxiang Village and ubiquitous imitators opened the first of the naming paradigms of "X Xiang X" and "XX Village".

Suzhou Life Show-How did the "Daoxiang Villages" all over the country appear

Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the lifestyle of Suzhou has become the object of imitation across the country. It is fashionable to imitate the Suzhou way of life throughout the country. Zhou Wenwei, a writer in the early Qing Dynasty, wrote to his son-in-law angrily and said: "Today people are nothing but Su Wen! Sitting facing each other, the name is'Su Zuo.' Ask Su to sit'. This is a scornful phrase. Thirty years ago, it was nothing. Sitting with Su, language and behavior are not safe.” This shows that the Suzhou way of life has quickly become a fashion during the Ming and Qing dynasties for decades. .

The diet is also proud of moving closer to Suzhou. During the Qianlong period, there was a Su-style Jinhua Pavilion in Beijing.Game loses his iron bird. "Its dishes, Tiequeer, are exclusive treasures. Suzhou-Hangzhou food is also quite precious in Tianjin. Daoguang wrote a poem: "Juqi has no goods, but Suzhou-Hangzhou, triple prawns are more expensive." Don't blame the inside game in the door, you always want to hide deeply.

(Picture: Suzhou's developed urban commercial economy during the Ming and Qing Dynasties)

In the context of the Soviet-style lifestyle being imitated by the whole country, the "Daoxiang Villages" have spread all over the country in the helplessness of the authentic Suzhou Daoxiang Village

According to Li Feng, a professor in the History Department of the School of Social Sciences of Soochow University, in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, although Suzhou Daoxiang Village had always advertised as "there is only one family, there is no separation", its authentic reputation has become more and more popular, and its attraction to foreign countries has also become more and more attractive. Intensified, counterfeiting of the "Daoxiang Village" brand name became popular. At that time, the brand name of Daoxiang Village was almost all over the country. Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shenyang, Shanxi, Shandong, Anhui, Hunan, Chongqing, Wuhan, , Jiangsu and Zhejiang, etc. In the city, many shops in Daoxiang Village were opened. In Shanghai, in the thirty-second year of Guangxu (1906), the tea and food shop colleagues once agreed that "new stores should be 30 stores away from the old store". There was a reason why the new store in Daoxiang Village was 17 away from the old store in Daoxiang Village. In the same industry litigation, this rule was abolished in the concession during the Xuantong period. In the American, British, French concessions and Nanshi, "Daoxiang Villages" have sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain, row after row. From the 5th to the 16th year of the Republic of China (1916～1927), Shenyang City was opened one after another 33 Daoxiang Villages.

Taking Beijing as an example, Beijing’s first "Daoxiang Village" was founded in the 21st year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1895) by Guo Yusheng (also recorded by Guo Yusheng) on ​​Yinsi Street (now ) in Qianmen Facade. Zhalan West Street) East Exit. The book ", the 101 most beautiful Chinese time-honored brands in China" introduces: Beijing Daoxiang Village was built in the 21st year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1895 AD), and was the first to work in Daoxiang Village, Suzhou. Guo Yusheng, a native of Jinling (Nanjing), who possessed Daoxiangcun’s food production skills and business strategies, brought a few men to Beijing to establish a storefront, which was then called the “Daoxiangcun South Store”. It is also said that Guo Yusheng (Guo Yusheng) came to Beijing because of his father’s post in office. Suzhou opened Jinling Banya shop to become rich,So he went to Beijing to establish Daoxiang Village, and then in 1908 he founded Senji Daoxiang Village in Tianjin.

Zhang Jianming and Qi Dazhi's "Talking about Beijing Merchants: Illustrated Business Proverbs" stated: "In 1911, Wang Rongqing, a native of Anhui, bought Daoxiang Village from the Guo family, and the business went smoothly. In 1916, Wang Rongqing and other shareholders Co-invested and opened a new store near Daoxiang Village. It opened on the Mid-Autumn Festival when the sweet-scented osmanthus was in full bloom, so it was named "Guixiang Village." Since then, Guixiang Village opened a branch in Xidan." According to Li Feng's research, Wang Rongqing, whose real name is Wang Rongqing, was born in the eighth year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1882). He was born in She County, Anhui. He came to Beijing at the end of Guangxu. He founded the "Old Daoxiang Village" at No. 6 North of Dongkou Road, Guanyinsi Street, and was located at the south end of Dong'an Market. There is a branch in Luxi. Li Feng believes that Wang Rongqing did acquire Guo Yusheng (Guo Yusheng) Daoxiang Village, but not in 1911, but before 1923.

And in Beijing Dong’an Market , there are also many "Daoxiang Villages", according to Zong Quanchao's "From Shortbread Dumplings to Nanwei Store-Investigation of Production and Management of Daoxiangchun Food Stores Before Liberation": "At that time market There is also a "Daoxiang Village". The shopkeeper Sun Litang loves to play and is not good at running enterprises. He relies on a "running outside" Shi Xinqi as the principal." This Daoxiang Village was acquired by Zhang Senlong in the second half of 1914.

Zhang Senlong, from Dantu, Jiangsu, alias Chunshan, born in the 16th year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1890), originally worked as an apprentice in the Shanghai "Wang Renhe" tea shop originated in Suzhou, and learned how to make Soviet-style cakes. With good craftsmanship, he went to Beijing in 1913 and opened the "Sen Chunyang" Nanhuo Tea Restaurant in Dongqing Building of Dong'an Market. After entering Sun Litang's "Daoxiang Village", in 1916, the "Daoxiangchun" Nanhuo Tea Restaurant was opened at No. 34 North Gate of Dong'an Market. In the early stage, it mainly sold products from Wang Rongqing’s Guixiang Village. Later, the Suzhou master Fuqiu who made pastries was invited to produce and sell Soviet-style pastries. It also added the southern flavor meat with the Suzhou " 陆 draft recommended" practice. In 1925, the food was successfully registered. Category "Daoxiangchun" Eagle Ball trademark. After the liberation, Dao Xiangchun experienced public-private partnership and reform and opening up, was included in the Donglaishun Group, and then experienced restructuring.The trademark of Daoxiangchun belongs to Donglaishun Group, and the operator of Daoxiangchun shall apply to Donglaishun Group for the right to use the trademark in order to maintain normal operations.

(Picture: Daoxiangchun developed to this day)

Before that, Wang Rongqing founded another "Laoxiang Village" at No. 22, Qianmen Street, and successfully registered the food category "Laoxiang Village" in 1925 No." trademark. In June 1936, Wang Rongqing’s Daoxiang, Guixiangchun, and Laoxiang villages were forced to close their businesses for cleaning up due to poor management.

In addition, the name of Daoxiang Village that can be tested in Beijing before the liberation is a Daoxiang Village Nanhuo tea shop opened in March 1935 when Zhu Qing was born in 304 Xidan North Street. It was closed down in January 1937; Su Shuxun Wang Rongqing is located at the original site of Guixiang Village at No. 110 south of the east entrance of Guanyin Temple Street, Qianmen District. He opened Daoxiang Village Xinji Nanhuo Tea Restaurant, which specializes in homemade southern pastries; Xu Xueren, a native of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, lived at No. 38, Caishikou, Qianmen in 1934. Renji Daoxiang Village was opened, mainly for home-made pastries; during 's Anti-Japanese War, the "Quanji Daoxiang Village" opened by Liu Songquan appeared on the 30th of Dongan Market and so on.

In addition, Baoding Daoxiang Village, Shenyang Daoxiang Village, Shanghai Daoxiang Village and so on are more well-known.

Baoding Daoxiang Village was founded in the sixth year of the Republic of China by the founder Cao Hongbo. He was an apprentice in Beijing Daoxiang Village in the late Qing Dynasty. Daoxiangcun shop was established in Baoding in 1917. It is located at the north of the prosperous West Street Road. It is based on the model of Caiqianfangfang. The products are made with Daoxiangcun’s authentic skills and have both north and south flavors. After the liberation of Baoding in 1948, Baoding Daoxiang Village was taken over by the state, and in the following years, with the changes of the times, it became Baoding's first public-private joint venture. In 1983, Baoding Daoxiangcun Food Factory took the lead to formally register the "Daoxiangcun" trademark in the National Trademark Office . In 2004, Baoding Daoxiangcun granted the "Daoxiangcun" trademark to Suzhou Daoxiangcun by means of transfer. In 2010, the trademarks of "Yipin Daoxiang" and "Baodao" were successively registered.

Shenyang Daoxiang Village was founded in 1916. From 1916 to 1927, 33 "Daoxiang Villages" were opened in Shenyang City, all for the sake of the name of "Daoxiang Village" and the benefit of "Daoxiang Village". Merchant Zhang Daosheng is on the east of Xiaonanmenli Road, Zhou Baohua has hung up the sign of "Zhen Daoxiang Village" on the west of Xiaonanmenli Road, and Fang Lanting has hung up the sign of "Old Daoxiang Village" on Dananguan Street. Xie Zilin also hung the sign of "True Daoxiang Village" in the gate of Xiaoxibian. All of a sudden, in Shenyang City, the "true" and "old" Daoxiang Village drama was sung.

In this pastry competition, Xie Zilin's "True Daoxiang Village" is favored by customers for its high quality and low price. In 1927, Shencheng and other "Daoxiang Villages" gradually closed their dividends due to unfavorable business operations. However, Xie Zilin began to make more profits and rich funds to open a new store in the "True Daoxiang Village" in the southeast of Zhongjie. For more than ten years, the brand of Daoxiang Village in Shenyang has not fallen. It was included in the Shenyang Non-staple Food Group until the end of the 20th century. On November 18, 2015, Shenyang Non-staple Food Group and Suzhou Daoxiangcun formally signed a cooperation agreement to jointly fund a joint venture with China's time-honored Shenyang Daoxiangcun Food Factory to jointly develop the Northeast market.

Shanghai Daoxiang Village currently mainly produces duck gizzard liver , duck tongue, duck neck and other poultry products, known as the "gizzard liver king".

Judging from the development history of these "Daoxiang villages", most out-of-town Daoxiang villages were created by Soviet pastry chefs in the special age of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Under the premise that the Suzhou way of life is respected, they use their own With one skill, we are looking for our own development path. In that era when there is no awareness of brand protection, we will struggle to survive, or create a world, and become a part of the legend of the "Daoxiang Village" brand.

Why is the modern "Daoxiang Village" more common?

To this day, the "Daoxiang Village" that can be seen in various cities across the country and even overseas needs to be attributed to the vigorous development of Suzhou Daoxiang Village.

The development of Daoxiang Village in Suzhou has gone through the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China; it has experienced national capital , public-private joint ventures, state-owned enterprises, collective reforms, and joint-stock system reforms.It has achieved a legend of continuous operation for two and a half centuries, and is one of the companies with the longest history of continuous operation in China's pastry and food industry.

At present, the Daoxiangcun Group , where Suzhou Daoxiang Village is located, has more than 800 franchise stores across the country, covering most of the country, and growing at a rate of nearly 100 each year. In response to the national "One Belt, One Road" and "Chinese Enterprises Going Global" initiative, Daoxiangcun Group has implemented the "Daoxiangcun going to sea" strategy and registered the "Daoxiangcun" trademark in more than 60 countries and regions overseas. Up to now, products have been exported to more than 40 overseas countries and regions through cross-border stores and other channels, allowing overseas travellers to taste the taste of hometown, and allowing international friends to appreciate the Chinese culture behind Daoxiang Village’s cuisine.

(Picture: Guanqian Street, Daoxiang Village, Suzhou)

In addition to offline, Suzhou Daoxiang Village is also quite successful online. In 2009, Suzhou Daoxiang Village actively explored the field of e-commerce and established an e-commerce department. With the help of big data feedback, Suzhou Daoxiang Village customized e-commerce product packaging according to consumers' needs, optimized the types of online product sales, and at the same time formulated appropriate promotion strategies, and gradually opened up online sales channels. It is understood that Daoxiangcun Group has also in-depth cooperation with Jingdong Supermarket in C2M (reverse customized) products, which fully meets the differentiated needs of consumers, achieves quality sales growth, and expands young users and high-end customers. At present, Suzhou Daoxiang Village has occupied a relatively high market share on self-operated platforms such as Tmall and JD for many years, and the proportion of online sales has maintained a growth trend.

Suzhou Daoxiang Village has also opened up new ways to play in its publicity, such as cross-border IP cooperation to achieve disruptive interactions, deep integration of traditional pastries with food, tea, games and other life scenes, and create them in a way that young people like product. During the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, many young people posted the joint gift box of Suzhou Daoxiang Village and "Peace Elite" on social platforms. Customized rattan pepper chicken mooncakes are combined with game concepts to directly target players' interests.

The national development and overseas layout of Suzhou Daoxiang Village have enabled the brand of "Daoxiang Village", which has been inherited for more than 200 years, to go global and achieve an unsurpassed business legend.