In modern Zhongshan, industry and commerce are developed, the commercial atmosphere is strong, and many popular business names and brands have emerged. After the long river of history, some of these businesses and brands have fallen silent, and some have struggled to survive. Since 1993, the relevant state departments have confirmed more than 1,600 "Chinese time-honored brands" across the country. But so far, 70% of these "old brands" have barely maintained the status quo; 20% have long-term losses, facing bankruptcy, and bankruptcy; and only 10% have good returns, that is, the so-called "Chinese time-honored brands" and "721" phenomenon. To be able to stick to it and carry it forward, it has become a well-deserved old brand. "Tsui Xiang Yuan" and "Shaxi Herbal Tea" are the two pearls in Zhongshan's "Chinese Time-honored Brand" that have become more and more shining after withstanding the baptism of time.
In April 2006, the Ministry of Commerce re-recognized the first batch of "Chinese time-honored brands", Zhongshan City recommended to participate in the production of "Tsui Xiang Yuan" almond cake Tsui Xiang Yuan Health Food (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd. and Guangdong Yihetang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which produces "Shaxi Herbal Tea", both of which successfully passed the certification and became the only two "Chinese time-honored brand enterprises" in Zhongshan.
Known as the "four famous cakes" in Guangdong, Tsui Xiangyuan almond cake was founded in the early years of the Republic of China, and the cold recipe "Shaxi Herbal Tea" appeared as early as the Qing Guangxu period. How were these two long-established brands born and developed? In the midst of intricate social change, how do they stubbornly crawl forward and finally stride forward to win a bright sky? Open the dusty archives, and the old stories behind the old brands are presented one by one.
Chew Incense Garden
Rich and noble maid self-created International exhibition won the gold medal
In the early years of the Republic of China, No. 8 Xingningli (also known as "Niujiao Lane") on SunWen West Road in Xiangshan County had a family surnamed Xiao who fell in the middle of the road, and there was a maid named Pan Yanxiang (1880-1954), also known as "Three Families" and "Self-Combing Women", originally from Daliang, Shunde, who lost his father at an early age, and his family was poor, and he made a living as a maid. Pan is smart and capable, and has mastered a good craft of cake making. One day, on Xiao's mother's birthday, Xiao's wife asked Pan to make snacks to entertain relatives and friends. Pan shells, dries, sautés mung beans, grinds them into powder, mixes them with oil sugar, sandwiches a piece of fat meat marinated in sugar in the center, presses them into an almond-like cake mold, and bakes them. Because of the rich sweetness, crispness of the mouth, fat and not greasy, the guests who came to wish for the birthday were full of praise.
Seeing that this cake was widely popular, the Xiao family raised funds to open a workshop and hired Pan Yanxiang as a master to make this mung bean cake for sale to help the family.
When exactly will the trade name of "Tsui Xiang Yuan" be officially used? Why is it called?
According to the July 1950 Zhongshan County People's Government Industrial and Commercial Registration Archives held by the Zhongshan Municipal Archives, Tsui Xiang Yuan, located in Niujiao Lane, Sun Wen West Road, mainly engaged in almond cakes, was originally opened in January 1930 (which can be understood as the time of initial industrial and commercial registration). The applicant for re-registration in July 1950 was Xiao Ganwei, who was 43 years old at the time, with a registered capital of 6 million yuan (old currency, the same below). According to the "Register of Members of the Confectionery and Cake Industry Association in Shiqi Town, Zhongshan County" on November 20, 1946, the host of Tsui Xiang Garden at that time was 40-year-old Xiao Tsui. Suppose that in 1930, when the business was officially registered, it was possible to name the firm after the then 16-year-old Xiao Tsui. Of course, this is only the author's inference based on the original archives, which may not be in line with the statements of some existing materials.
Registration information of ChewIng Xiang Garden in the Zhongshan County General Commercial Registration Form in July 1950 (Zhongshan Municipal Archives Collection)
After the advent of marzipan, it was quickly popular and exported to the Americas and Southeast Asian countries. In 1935, he won the Golden Rooster Award at the Honolulu International Food Exhibition in the United States.
Almond cakes compete in the same city Tsui Xiang Yuan is far ahead
In fact, the merchants who produced and sold almond cakes in the same period were not only Tsui Xiang Yuan. According to the industrial and commercial registration archives, the Yiwei Lu Cake Family, which was first registered and opened on November 1, 1949, was located at No. 299 Sun Wen West Road in Shiqi with a registered capital of 9.11 million yuan; on the same day, the Yiwei Lu Cake Family, which was registered and opened and also operated almond cakes, had a registered capital of 2.73 million yuan, originally located at No. 277 Sun Wen West Road, and later moved to No. 1 Xingningli, just a few steps away from the Tsui Xiang Yuan Cake Family, forming a "same competition". There are also such as Sun Wen West Road Huixing Cake Shop, which is also operating almond cakes.
According to the "Shiqi City Cake And Food Industry 1953 Annual Turnover Schedule", in 1953, there were 63 households in the cake and food industry in Shiqi City, Zhongshan County, with a total annual turnover of 10.56 billion yuan, an average of 168 million yuan per household. Among them, Tsui Xiang Yuan was 335 million yuan, Yi Wei Lu was 253 million yuan, and Yi Wei Lu was 24 million yuan. The far-leading turnover of Tsui Heung Yuen is a strong illustration of the popularity of its products, making it a winner in the competition without suspense.
Reform unleashes the vitality of the old
After 1956, Tsui Xiang Yuan Bakery implemented a public-private partnership and was renamed "Tsui Xiang Yuan Food Factory", producing products in addition to almond cakes, as well as biscuits, candy, soda, etc., but the almond cake is still thriving. For example, in 1963, the whole factory only completed 82% of the annual plan, but the production of single-product macaroons exceeded the task, reaching 156% of the plan.
Reform and opening up have greatly liberated the productive forces of time-honored brands. In 1978, the annual output of Tsui Xiang Yuan almond cake was less than 10 tons, and just a few years later, in 1982, the annual output soared to 124 tons, and the market was still in short supply, showing the bright development prospects of the product.
In the tide of enterprise reform, in April 1997, Tsui Heung Yuen carried out the first joint-stock system transformation, with state-owned shares accounting for 76.78% and employee shares accounting for 23.22%. The transformation of enterprises has improved the property rights structure of enterprises, clarified the rights and interests of state-owned shareholders and employee shareholders, and mobilized the enthusiasm of employees to a certain extent. However, due to the fact that state-owned shares account for the majority of the shares, the operation and operation of enterprises basically follow the set of state-owned enterprises, and the awareness of large pot rice and iron rice bowl still hinders the pace of enterprise development.
With the support of the Zhongshan Municipal Party Committee and the Zhongshan Municipal Government, at the end of December 1998, Tsui Xiang Yuan underwent a second restructuring, and the operators and some employees bought the state-owned shares in full and became a limited liability company composed of private capital. The innovation of the enterprise management system has brought new vitality to the enterprise and achieved rapid results in the short term. According to the data, in the first four months after the second transformation, sales and taxes increased by 7% year-on-year, profits increased by 2 times, labor productivity increased by 43%, employee income increased by 23%, energy consumption fell sharply, and the expenditure on water bills decreased by 20%.
Exterior view of the century-old "Tsui Xiang Yuan" on Fengming Road in 2001 (Zhongshan Municipal Archives Collection)
"Except the brand is old, everything else is new!" In the five years since its transformation, Tsui Xiang Yuan has completed institutional innovation, management innovation, technological innovation and market innovation, and has won numerous awards with its unique charm. With the official operation of the new plant covering an area of nearly 50,000 square meters built according to GMP international standards, Tsui Xiang Yuan has developed into a health food production enterprise integrating product development, production, processing, sales and tourism.
Exterior view of Zhongshan Tsui Xiangyuan Food Co., Ltd. in Torch Development Zone in 2014 (Zhongshan Municipal Archives Collection)
As a person in charge of Tsui Xiang Yuan Health Food (Zhongshan) Co., Ltd. said: "In the century-old history of Tsui Heung Yuen, no matter the change of personnel and the great changes of the times, what has always run through it is an important feature of Xiangshan culture - innovation. Perhaps, this is the best interpretation of why the long-established brand of Tsui Xiang Yuan still stands up to the tide of the times and creates a new vitality of the "Chinese time-honored brand".
Sand Creek Herbal Tea
Four o'clock cold typhoid holy medicine Car driver prescription service to the townspeople
The climate in Lingnan is warm and humid, the water and soil are dry and hot, and people are prone to fire and cold. As early as when Western medicine was not popular, the people knew how to pick herbs and boil juices to drink to treat the fire, which is the unique "herbal tea" in Guangdong.
Legend has it that in the late Qing Dynasty, Huang Hui (1861-1934) of Shaxi Tayuan Village in Zhongshan came from a poor family, and from the age of 15, he supported himself and made a living as a sedan driver. Huang Hui likes to collect folk Chinese herbal medicine recipes, and uses the convenience of going out to work in the four townships to collect herbs to treat the townspeople. He groped out a prescription for the treatment of four colds and tired typhoid fever, the effect was outstanding, the townspeople praised, he collected and processed his own medicine, packaged and sold in a paper bag, the packaging bag read "Shaxi typhoid medicine, Huanghui manufacturing" words, then people called it Huanghui herbal tea, because it came from Shaxi, posterity called it "Shaxi herbal tea". On April 9, 1932, the business name "Huangchao Shantang" was officially taken to operate Shaxi herbal tea.
Descendants of the study of medicine Shiqi opened a shop Word of mouth praised the favor of overseas Chinese
The popularity of Huanghui herbal tea has made Huanghui get rid of poverty and become rich. He sent his son Huang Guoping to Guangdong Guanghua Medical College to study and became a college student studying Western medicine. After graduating from university, Huang Guoping returned to Zhongshan to practice medicine, and served as the president of Qiao Li Hospital (now the site of zhongshan Museum).
In June 1944, the 35-year-old Huang Guoping opened the Huang Guoping Medical Clinic at No. 128 Sun WenZhong Road with a principal of HK$4,000 to engage in Western medicine. At the same time, his wife Chen Yongchun opened Huangchao ShanTang at the same site to deal in Shaxi herbal tea. One in one in the west, East and West, East and West, complement each other perfectly. The archives of the Zhongshan Municipal Archives during the Republic of China Post and Telecommunications Bureau record that on September 18, 1945, Huang Guoping Medical Office was connected to the telephone, the number was "10", at the time when the telephone was a rarity, it was possible to use such a luxury, Huang Guoping seemed to be a "successful person".
Application for "Huang Chao Shan Tang" to re-register for business in October 1953 (Zhongshan Municipal Archives Collection)
In August 1949, 39-year-old Liu Shiying opened Huangchao Shan Tang at No. 75 Gonghe Street, Shaxi Market, also dealing in Shaxi herbal tea. It states in its industrial and commercial registration that its business "originated from the 21st year of the Republic of China", which is the same as Chen Yongchun's industrial and commercial registration record. What is the relationship between the Liu family and the Huang family? Because there is no more evidence, the author is not easy to say, but the two helpers of the Liu family are surnamed Chen, and one of them is named "Chen Yongnong", and may be related to Huang Hui's daughter-in-law Chen Yongchun.
Although the turnover of Huangchao Shantang is not the only one in the local industry, because Shaxi herbal tea is better than the low price, it has stood firm since its inception, and it is not only widely welcomed by the local people, but also taken overseas, and is favored by Hong Kong and Macao compatriots and overseas Chinese.
Advancing with the times Cultural heritage will always be protected
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, after experiencing public-private partnerships, Huangchao Shantang became Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory. Until the reform and opening up, Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory has been manual operation, the plant is only a 20 square meters of private houses, the annual output value of 60,000-70,000 yuan hovering.
After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, with the gradual liberalization of economic policies, the channels of production, supply and marketing of enterprises have been continuously broadened, and enterprises have ushered in unlimited vitality. In 1981, the shaxi herbal tea factory plant was expanded, the dosage form was reformed, from a pot agent to a flush agent, and the contracting system was implemented. By the end of 1982, the annual profit reached 600,000 yuan, and the state tax was 440,000 yuan, an increase of nearly 100 times over 1979.
In view of the obvious benefits of Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory, Shaxi Commune invested heavily in the factory in 1983, investing 2 million yuan to expand the plant, increase equipment, improve sanitary conditions, and conclude contracting contracts with enterprises. Through the concerted efforts of the whole factory, the output value, profits and taxes, and employee income of Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory in that year have increased significantly, with an increase of 55%-380%.
The first "test of water" in the reform of the enterprise management system has given all aspects a taste of sweetness, and has strengthened the determination of Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory to go down this road. In April 1984, Shaxi Herbal Tea Factory was renamed Shaxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Factory, in March 1990 it was renamed Zhongshan Shaxi Pharmaceutical Factory, and in April 2003 it was renamed Guangdong Yihetang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
With each change of the name of the enterprise, the development of the enterprise has a qualitative leap. The company's products have long been expanded from the original single-minded cold herbal tea to more than 200 varieties today; the 58,000-square-meter factory area and advanced production equipment are unimaginable to the owners of Huangchao Shantang at that time; "Guangdong Famous Brand Products", "Guangdong Famous Trademarks", "Guangdong Private Science and Technology Enterprises", "Zhongshan Top 100 Enterprises" and other titles and glory, indicating that the charm of the century-old brand is not diminished, and it is increasing day by day.
Some products produced by Shaxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Factory in the 1980s (Zhongshan Municipal Archives Collection)
What is even more gratifying is that in May 2006, Shaxi Herbal Tea, together with well-known brands such as Wang Laoji, Huang Zhenlong and Deng Lao Herbal Tea, was approved by the State Council as one of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage, and was permanently protected by the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural Heritage and relevant laws of the mainland. The golden signboard of "Intangible Cultural Heritage" brings a broader space for the inheritance and market promotion of Shaxi Herbal Tea, a century-old brand.
Wen 丨 Gao Xiaobing
Editor: Linlin Chen
Review: Wang Jian
Final Judge: Liu Shidong
Source of the article: "The Seal of Zhongshan", edited by Zhongshan Municipal Archives (Local History Office of Zhongshan Municipal People's Government).
It was written in 2006.