Beijing Memory 丨 "Three More" and "Five Haves", The History of The Development of Daoxiangchun (Part 1)

Started with a meat dumpling stall

The founder of Daoxiangchun is called Zhang Senlong, also known as Chunshan, a native of Dantu County, Jiangsu Province. His father was a fisherman and died prematurely. He had five brothers, and he was third. He and his eldest brother Zhang Senyu both studied in the south and had the craft of making southern food. His eldest brother and a man named Miao Banggui came to Beijing in 1914. They both will make southern meat dumplings, see Wangfujing Street is very prosperous, Dong'an Market has a lot of tourists, just set up a small stall in the Dong'an Market Dongqing Building, specializing in southern meat dumplings. The method of meat dumplings is to roast three sides with a fire, which is crispy and delicious, not only loved by southerners, but also fresh when northerners eat. In 1915, Zhang Senlong also came to Beijing from the south with his luggage. Shrewd and capable, flexible, good at business, good at making food, and supported by many fellow villagers and friends, this small stall selling meat dumplings gradually expanded. In order to solve the problem of small capital and insufficient meat dumplings, Zhang Senlong took the initiative to contact butcher shops and grain and oil stores to buy oil, meat and noodles on credit, and then paid after selling meat dumplings. Because he talks about credit and gets along well, he can settle once every ten days and a half months. In this way, the meat dumplings are sold more, and the funds are accumulated. DongqingLou is the only way to enter the market from the south gate of Dong'an Market, and tourists flow endlessly every day. Zhang Senlong grasped this favorable terrain and set up two small sheds. Later, he rented two opposite rooms at the entrance of dongqinglou, in addition to selling meat dumplings, he also sold sausages, bacon and southern pastries, etc., which were sold to Xidan Guixiang Village (because Zhang Senlong and the manager of Guixiang Village were both fellow villagers and teachers and students), so the business was getting better and better. Later, the trade was given a name, called Sen Chunyang, because there was a name for Yong Chunyang in the south, changing the word "甡" to the word "Sen", which may also be related to his own name.

Due to the rushing terrain and good sales, Zhang Senlong felt that it was not cost-effective to sell to others, so it was better to ask technicians from the south to produce and sell themselves. Later, after a detailed review of the terrain, he believed that the area around the north gate of Dong'an Market was more promising than the south gate. There is an auspicious theater at the north gate, and the audience is extremely large. Zhang Senlong opened up the relationship with the owner of the property, Shuijing Liang's family, made friends, and finally rented cheaply to the Liang family's west paved house close to the north gate road of Dong'an Market (five facades, five deep, fifteen houses), and said that there would be a permanent lease. So Zhang Senlong invited a famous technician from the south, and invited some relatives and friends in the south to be salesmen in order to attract more customers from the south. At the same time, he also contacted various parties and imported some goods on credit to strengthen the façade. After the preparations were made, in 1916, the Ina xiangchun pastry food store, which was characterized by southern flavors, opened. Many food stores in the north and south use Daoxiang Village as plaques, and Zhang Senlong changed the word "village" to "chun", which is different from the general name, and is related to his nickname Chunshan, indicating that he opened it himself. Later, Senlong Chinese and Western Restaurant was added, completely using his name, and the meaning was more obvious.

"Three more" and "five haves"

Zhang Senlong took advantage of the favorable terrain to make Daoxiangchun a good start, and constantly improved the operation and management, taking various measures to gradually develop the business, the scope of operation became wider and wider, and more and more profits were obtained.

The development of Daoxiangchun from small to large has various factors, mainly "three more" and "five haves".

"Three more" means: more fellow villagers, more brothers, and more contacts.

Many fellow countrymen. Zhang Senlong apprenticed and worked in Zhenjiang when he had many brothers, because of his affinity and affection, because of friends and friends, so it was much more convenient for him to hire southern technicians and southern salesmen than others. After he came to Beijing, he contacted his fellow villagers in various places, took the southern special taste food as the call, and received support from all aspects of the township, and some of the same villagers did voluntary propaganda on his behalf.

Put brothers more. Zhang Senlong's philosophy is "relying on his parents at home and relying on friends when he goes out." He always tries to make friends with rich and powerful people as long as it is good for the business. He has many brothers, such as Xiang Cao Liang domain, Ji Shi'an of the police circle, Dang Xiangzhou, Fu Xinzhai and so on. Zhang Senlong also formed a friendship with the famous gentry King Wu. Wang Lianwu is rich and powerful, not only is the owner of the real estate in the Dong'an Market, but also the financial owner of Baohuachun, Baolanzhai, Baoquan Bathhouse, Baochengdang, etc., and has a wide range of friends. Dao Xiangchun was greatly helped by the king.

There are many contacts. Zhang Senlong can speak, flexible wrists, good at communication, and because he and the leading figures in the Dong'an market are many brothers, he was promoted to the president of the Dong'an Market Federation at that time, in charge of all the affairs of the whole market. He often entertained in the name of the Federation and was in contact with various parties. He also contacted the Municipal Chamber of Commerce in his capacity as President of the Market Federation. He was very good with Leng Jiaji and Sun Xueshi, presidents of the Chamber of Commerce, so he was elected as a director of the Municipal Chamber of Commerce, and later served as the director of the Commercial Arbitration Office.

The "five haves" are: there is vision, there is a source of wealth, there is technology, there is a skill of useful people, and there are business characteristics.

Have vision. Zhang Senlong first examined the terrain in Daoxiangchun. Wangfujing Street is close to the embassy district of Dongjiaomin Lane, which is the most prosperous street; the emerging Dong'an Market is not only full of merchants, but also a place for citizens to play and entertain, Chinese and foreign tourists are endless, there are many people with money and leisure, and it is indeed a treasure land. At that time, it was the early years of the Republic of China, and the old royal palace and the nobles and eunuchs were mostly in the area of the north city of Dongcheng, "as long as things are good, they are not afraid to spend more money." He also examined the famous dumpling shops in Beijing, such as Zhengmingzhai, Juqingzhai and Baolanzhai, and sold some large road goods, such as eight pieces of large and small pieces, honey offerings, moon cakes, etc., which were far worse than the pastries in the south. He also learned that some delicatessens only sell sauce meat, sauce chicken, etc., not southern ham bacon, and so on. Therefore, Zhang Senlong was able to take measures to judge the situation and make Dao Xiangchun open as soon as it opened.

There is a source of wealth. Zhang Senlong did not bring capital when he came from the south, but only started from setting up a meat dumpling stall and building a small shed, and later opened Sen Chunyang, sold pastries and food to Guixiang Village, accumulated some funds, and received some assistance from fellow villagers and brothers. Especially fellow countrymen and friends Cao Liangyu. Cao Liangzu was a powerful officer under Wang Huaiqing, the commander of the Minchu Army, and Zhang Senlong met the famous doctor Cao Yuansen through Cao Liangzu's introduction. Cao Yuansen had cured Cao Kun's mother, so he became a member of cao Kun's closest councillor and also served as a lot of errands. Cao Yuansen was very rich, and Zhang Senlong respected him as a god, respected him as an elder, and often gave him generous gifts. Cao was very appreciative of Zhang Senlong. Although Cao was rich, his son was a nerd, and Cao Yuansen, in order to save his family from food and clothing, specially took out 20,000 or 30,000 cash for his son, and existed in Daoxiangchun, only taking interest every month, not mentioning Ben. In addition, Mrs. Zhu of Guixiang Village also has more than 10,000 yuan of cash deposits in Daoxiangchun. These deposits are of great benefit to the development and capital turnover of Daoxiangchun. At that time, many wholesalers borrowed money from banks, and when the market was tight, they often had to dump the goods at a low price due to a run. Due to the abundant funds, Dao Xiangchun was not only not squeezed, but took the opportunity to buy a large number of bargains and obtain heavy profits.

There is technology. The technology of making food in the south of China has always been brilliant and colorful, Zhang Senlong and his eldest brother Zhang Senyu have superb technology in making food, and most of the food technicians invited from the south are also masters. Because Zhang Senlong is an expert, there is very little waste in formulating operating procedures and manpower allocation.

Useful people's skills. Zhang Senlong's biggest feature is not nepotism, but only ability. In other words, whoever can give him more profit, he will use whom, which is recognized by the whole store. For example, his father-in-law, Qiao Hanqing, only helps to take care of the shop, and does not reuse it. At the beginning of the opening of Daoxiangchun, most of the clerks were southerners, either relatives or friends. Later, Zhang Senlong found that these people relied on the relationship with their fellow villagers and did things, so they were all replaced, and they were trained from the apprentices recruited from the north. For example, deputy manager Song Shiwu and accountant Li Zhen were promoted from apprenticeships.

There are business characteristics. Daoxiangchun is famous for its southern food. Food technicians from Nanjing, Shanghai, Zhenjiang, Hangzhou, Suzhou and other places, they each show their ability to attract customers from north to south. For example: the pastry group mainly produces various pastries in the south, produced according to the characteristics of the four seasons, which are both delicious and good-looking, not only renovated, but also heavy in oil and sugar, put for a week or two, and do not dry at all. Some dim sum, which was not available in Beijing in the past, is more distinctive. For example: Su-style roast cake cake cake, steamed cake cake, meat muffin, radish silk cake, fresh meat dumplings, fried lace dumplings, crystal mung bean cake, etc.; Zhenjiang's navel, steamed bun, lard walnut cake, lard pine nut cake, spiced hemp cake, pretzel baked cake and so on. Another example is the technicians who invited Ziyangguan from the south to produce Jinhua ham, sweet sauce cockles, drunken crabs and so on. From Shanghai, the most famous technician lu Wen recommended, specializing in the production of Suzhou sauce chicken, sauce duck, sauce meat, square meat, smoked fish, smoked chicken, bacon, etc., as well as Nanjing's oil chicken, tube duck, pork, scallion oil cake, etc., a variety of tricks. Dao Xiangchun also hung a sign stating that "a certain technician is specially invited to produce delicious specialties in the south" to attract customers to buy. Another feature of Daoxiangchun's business is that no matter what raw materials are selected, they are very careful from the preparation to the production, so they maintain goodwill and are trusted by customers.

In the past, many southerners came to Beijing to open businesses, and after making money, they ate and drank heavily, gambled wildly, and thus declined. Zhang Senlong is completely different. His personal life is relatively frugal, his dress is not exquisite, in his later years he did not smoke and drink, and always ate vegetarian. After he made his fortune, he once joined forces with the Bao family of Siemens and the old lady Zhu of Guixiang Village to give away thin materials and old cotton clothes and pants to poor citizens in his home. This was rare in the old society.

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