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January 7, 2015

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Home » Supplement » Hang zhou

Brands that have stood the tests of time

By Wu Huixin | January 7, 2015, Wednesday | Print Edition

TIME-HONORED brands occupy a special place in Hangzhou’s history, having witnessed the development of the city, showcasing its produce and lifestyle and embodying Hangzhou traditions for locals and tourists alike.

Last week, Shanghai Daily introduced three Hangzhou time-honored brands. Today, we recommend another three.

Kui Yuan Guan noodle restaurant

It’s not easy for a small noodle restaurant to survive the ups and downs of history, but Kui Yuan Guan has. Today, it embodies Hangzhou noodle culture and has been dubbed the “noodle king of southern China.”

Its origin dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when candidates from other cities of Zhejiang Province gathered in Hangzhou to sit the imperial examination. One day, a poor student who seemed down and lacking confidence walked into the restaurant and ordered a bowl of its noodles.

To cheer up the student, the owner threw three eggs into the noodles — representing the three rounds of tests in the imperial examination.

Unexpectedly, the student passed the imperial examination and became a government official. He subsequently returned to the noodle shop and inscribed the name Kui Yuan Guan in gratitude to the owner.

Kui means best, yuan is the title for those passing the exam and guan means a small restaurant. Together they form a phrase meaning “the best of all the best candidates in the imperial exam.”

Eager for a bit of this noodle shop magic to rub off on them, candidates for the exam would flocked there to enjoy a hearty bowl of noodles and to pray for good luck.

In order to cater to the varying tastes of people from different areas taking the exam, the owner created pian’er chuan — featuring the refreshing taste of preserved vegetables and sliced bamboo shoots.

Over the years, pian’er chuan has become a symbol of Hangzhou dishes. Today, Kui Yuan Guan is still a popular stop with diners.

 

Address: 154 Jiefang Rd

Tel: (0571) 8702-9012

Bian Fu Mao shoe shop

Cloth shoes have a history dating back more than 3,000 years in China, dominating the footwear industry before the arrival of leather shoes and sneakers. Though fewer and fewer people wear cloth shoes in daily life, they still have fans — especially among the middle-aged and elderly — who swear by the comfy footwear.

Bian Fu Mao has adhered to its own principles since its establishment in 1845, originally just a small roadside shoes stall that attracted few customers.

Though business was not good, founder Bian Chunhao persisted with his high-end techniques, using new cloth and stitching his shoes with waxed thread.

One day, when a customer questioned whether Bian actually manufactured his shoes in the meticulous way he claimed, the insulted shoemaker used a knife to cut one of his shoes in half.

This revealed a cross-section of the shoe, showing the high-quality of his work which he pointed out to the doubting customer.

News of the touchy shoemaker’s behavior soon spread in the city, which in return brought customers eager to sample the footwear their creator was so proud of.

Over the years, the store enjoyed great fame across the city for its high craftsmanship and exquisite appearance. Among Bian Fu Mao customers were noted Peking opera performer Mei Lanfang, Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai.

With the upturn of living standards, more and more Chinese people now wear leather shoes. Adapting to changing times, Bian Fu Mao now also produces leather footwear.

 

Address: 338 Zhongshan Rd M.

Tel: (0571) 8702-9089

Jiang Tongshun pastry shop

Many Hangzhou natives love traditional pastries and consider Jiang Tongshun pastries made in Liuxia Town in Xihu District to be the best. Some Jiang Tongshun fans are even prepared to travel hours by bus to stock up on the tasty goodies.

However, now sweet-toothed residents need not go that far, as a branch shop selling authentic Jiang Tongshun brand pastry is located on bustling Hefang Street.

The founder of Jiang Tongshun was imperial chef Jiang Xukui, who made desserts for the royal family in the Forbidden City in the late Qing Dynasty. After accumulating years of dessert-making experience, he returned to his hometown of Hangzhou and rented a house in Liuxia Town to sell his homemade pastries.

Jiang Tongshun combined imperial desserts with folk dim sum and created pastries according to different seasons and festivals. Though this pastry brand prospered a century ago, it declined, like other time-honored pastry brands, under the influence of Western desserts. In 1984, descendants of Jiang decided to revive the brand by reopening the pastry shop.

 

Address: 139-141 Hefang Street

Tel: (0571) 8708-7703

Hang zhou


 

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