Folk Customs and Famous Shops, Finest Products (Part 4)
Section 4: Century-Old Shops, Quality Restaurants — A China Time-Honored Brand: Changsha Huogongdian. Changsha Huogongdian Co., Ltd. is a world-renowned "China Time-Honored Brand," hailed as the birthplace of Hunan-style snacks and a leading representative of Hunan cuisine. Its headquarters is on Pozi Street, Changsha, with three branches and three franchise locations.
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section Four
Century-Old Shop, Tasteful Restaurant
China Time-Honored Brand Enterprise — Changsha Huogongdian
Changsha Huogongdian Co., Ltd. is a world-renowned "China Time-Honored Brand" enterprise, praised as the source of Hunan-style snacks and a major representative of Hunan cuisine. Its headquarters is located on Pozi Street in Changsha, and it has three branches — the Pozi Street main store, Dongtang branch, and Wuyi Road branch — as well as three franchised chain stores. Huogongdian was formerly a temple for worshipping the Fire God, also known as "Qianyuan Palace." It was first built in the fifth year of Wanli in the Ming dynasty (1577 AD) and is a representative public venue in Changsha and even Hunan that integrates folk culture, religious culture, and food culture. With "fire temple culture" as its foundation and supplemented by famous snacks and delicacies, Huogongdian has attracted officials and celebrities of successive dynasties to come because of its unique style. After renovation in 2001, Huogongdian formed the characteristics of "one palace, two temples, two pavilions, three passages, four scenic spots, eight snacks, and twelve famous dishes." In June 2008, Huogongdian's "fire temple culture" was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. Tasting snacks, savoring Hunan cuisine, listening to tanci, and watching Hunan opera are unique features of Huogongdian.
Century-Old Hunan Cuisine Shop — Changsha Yuloudong Co., Ltd.
Changsha Yuloudong was founded in the thirtieth year of Guangxu in the Qing dynasty (1904 AD) and has a history of 105 years, making it the only century-old Hunan cuisine shop in Hunan. In the late Qing dynasty, Zeng Guangjun, grandson of the Hunan Army leader Zeng Guofan and a Hanlin Academy scholar, after dining at Yuloudong, left the widely praised verse: "Spicy spring chicken and soup-soaked tripe make people often remember Yuloudong." For more than a hundred years, Yuloudong has been a condensed history of the development of Hunan cuisine. In terms of chefs, Yuloudong produced Tan Xiting, the "imperial chef" of Tan Yankai, president of the Executive Yuan of the Nanjing government during the Republic of China period; Shu Guiqing, who after the founding of New China was the Hunan cuisine chef for the Party's Eighth National Congress; Shi Yinxiang, who was selected and transferred to the provincial party committee reception office to cook specifically for leaders such as Mao Zedong, Hu Yaobang, and Jiang Zemin; and Xu Juyun, the only National People's Congress representative among China's 8 million chefs, a Chinese culinary master, and a Hunan cuisine master. With their unique and refined culinary skills, they have trained generation after generation of Hunan cuisine masters, and Yuloudong has always been praised as the "Whampoa Military Academy" of Hunan cuisine. In terms of dishes, Yuloudong's six classic Hunan dishes — spicy spring chicken, shredded tripe, braised pork knuckle in sauce, Dongting turtle and mutton, firewood-bundle mandarin fish, and steamed cured meats — have all won gold medals for Hunan in national cooking competitions, and in October 2009 they were formally listed as Changsha's "intangible cultural heritage protection." Yuloudong is a "China Time-Honored Brand" awarded by the Ministry of Commerce, a "National Top Ten Restaurant" awarded by the former State Bureau of Internal Trade, a "China Famous Catering Shop" awarded by the China Cuisine Association, and also a famous trademark of Hunan Province.
The World's Largest Restaurant — Xihulou Restaurant
Xihulou Restaurant is located in Malanshan, Kaifu District, Changsha, covering an area of 88 mu, with a building area of 30,000 square meters. It has 11 large halls and 108 private rooms and can seat 4,600 people dining at the same time. From the outside, Xihulou looks very much like a park. It inherits a thousand years of culture and draws on endless spiritual vitality. Within this mysterious and legendary "royal palace," all top-level food cultures gather here, and too many people want to understand and experience it. A vast world of fine food gathers in one place. When fine food is combined with Xihulou, even if one takes only a single ladle from three thousand weak waters, one can still satisfyingly feel imperial treatment and good fortune. The simple and rustic folk snack street, the Hundred Flowers Garden, and a gathering of famous chefs bring together Hunan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, palace cuisine, and specialty snacks. The cultural atmosphere here is rich, with classical, traditional, and ethnic splendors all presenting themselves. The "Manchu-Han Imperial Feast," which began in the Qing dynasty, is a luxury in how many people's dreams; today Xihulou can make your dream come true and bring you joy of body and mind. The beauty of Jiangnan lies in its gardens; the beauty of Xihulou surpasses even royal fairylands, beautiful in its artistic conception. The splendor of Xihulou, with food of lingering fragrance, not only condenses the essence of human dining but also gathers the most fragrant charm of Huxiang culture. Tasting Xihulou, you are tasting an exquisite feast cooked with culture. Xihulou received from the provincial tourism bureau China's first "Food Tourism Demonstration Site" plaque, and Xihulou undoubtedly seized a national first. At its opening in 2004, it also brought back a Guinness World Record certificate as the "world's largest restaurant."
Hunan's Large-Scale Professional Catering Enterprise with the Most Branches — Hunan Golden Sun Hotel Co., Ltd.
Hunan Golden Sun Hotel Co., Ltd. was established in 1996. Adhering to the business tenet of "home-style original flavor, home-style methods, home-style taste, home-style spending," it has sharpened a sword for more than 10 years, built a Hunan cuisine brand, and won the reputation of "delicious Hunan cuisine expert." It has received more than 20 honorary titles at various levels, including "China Famous Catering Shop" and "Famous Trademark of Hunan Province," and is the large-scale professional catering enterprise with the most branches in Hunan. At present, under its banner are 14 Golden Sun Hunan cuisine restaurants spanning Hunan, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi; the number one brand in Hunan-style steamed fast food — Zhengyouwei Huaren, with 30 stores (all in the Star City and all directly operated); and in 2009 another new favorite was added — Golden Sun Huitang Hot Spring Resort, which has already acquired more than 300 mu of land and plans to rent 10,000 mu, developing while operating, relying on the magical Huitang water resources to reshape the image of "Ecological Golden Sun." The "four ways" in Golden Sun's philosophy (the way of heaven, the way of filial piety, the way of teachers, the way of humanity), the "four methods" in management (goal method, assessment method, process method, six-constant method), and Golden Sun's growth culture, harmony and filial piety culture, and happiness culture have become a powerful magnetic field uniting people's hearts. Golden Sun's 36 special services and specialty products — flavored snake, Guhan health chicken, eight fresh across the sea, specialty stinky mandarin fish, and specialty roast meat — tightly attract customers.
Hunan's Large Restaurant with the Most Prominent Theme and Most Distinctive Features — Jinxiu Honglou
As an outstanding member of Changsha's catering world, Jinxiu Honglou is the large restaurant with the most prominent theme and the most distinctive features. From its decoration style to its dish presentation, the hotel perfectly combines profound Huxiang culture with the leisure and food culture of Dream of the Red Chamber and brings it to the dining table. Jinxiu Honglou perfectly combines Chinese classical characteristics with modern food culture and has won the "four good" reputation from consumers: good environment, good location, good dishes, and good service.
Hunan's Number One Chain Catering Brand — Xiangli Renjia Catering Chain Culture Development Co., Ltd.
Xiangli Renjia Catering Chain Culture Development Co., Ltd. is located on Shaoshui West Road, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, and is a catering chain enterprise that brings together the distinctive flavors of Hunan's local culture. The company has a complete management system and a later-stage support and supervision system. It mainly serves traditional and new-style Hunan cuisine, distinctive farmhouse dishes, and local dishes from various parts of Hunan, and has specially engaged a member of the China Hunan Cuisine Association and a national top-grade chef as kitchen director to personally guide and review the renewal and promotion of dishes. The company has established a franchise catering network centered on Shaoyang, Hunan, radiating to more than 90 cities across the country, and has become the number one catering chain brand in Hunan Province in one stroke. Throughout Hunan and even the whole country, it has created a miracle in the catering world. The economic program team of CCTV Channel 2 specially conducted an exclusive interview, calling it the peculiar Chu-Xiang catering culture—that is, the "Xiangli Renjia" phenomenon. In 2005, it was rated by People's Daily as the only nationally trustworthy catering chain enterprise in Hunan and one of China's top 100 catering chains.
Mainland China's first new-concept congee bar—Tianxia Wuer Hong Kong-style Congee Bar
In 2003, Lu Xinshi, president of Changsha Fengxing Tianxia Enterprise Management Co., Ltd., was the first in the mainland to introduce and promote brands such as Hong Kong Tianxia Wuer Hong Kong-style Congee Bar, Hong Kong City Farmer Steamed-Stewed-Simmered Fast Food Chain, China Magic Pot Tianxia Q-Zai Pot Affordable Hot Pot, Little Magic Pot QQ Malatang, and Magic Pot Fang Spicy Incense Pot, filling a gap in the mainland catering market. Among them, Tianxia Wuer Hong Kong-style Congee Bar was the first in the mainland to launch a new-concept congee bar, and Q-Zai Pot is China's first Q-culture affordable hot pot theme restaurant. The company developed the first fully automatic congee-cooking equipment, the first fully automatic congee-making soy milk machine, and supporting semi-automatic clay pot rice cookers, smokeless grills, pastoral steamed vegetable machines, and other equipment. In six years, it developed more than 600 chain stores and achieved annual sales of HK$400 million, becoming the number one Hong Kong-style congee bar brand in the mainland. From 2004 to 2005, brands under Fengxing Tianxia became "listed brands" on the CCTV website and the three major portal websites, were rated as "AAA-grade Quality and Integrity Member Units" by the China Quality and Integrity Management Association, and were rated as "China Market Preferred Franchise Brands" by the China Market Brand Management Committee. The company is a senior member unit of the China Chain Store & Franchise Association and a member unit of the China Association of Inventions. The company has a machinery manufacturing base and a central kitchen factory-style distribution base.
A century-old signature noodle shop—Yang Yuxing Noodle House
A Changsha folk rhyme goes, "Yang Yuxing's noodles, Xu Changxing's duck, Deyuan's buns are truly delicious." Having passed through five generations, Yang Yuxing Noodle House has stood for a hundred years with its black-background, gold-character signboard, and every day the people eating noodles flow in an endless stream from morning to night. Yang Yuxing's noodles use reasonable ingredients, are made exquisitely, and have rich seasonings. The alkaline noodles processed in-house are chewy yet soft and have a good mouthfeel. When cooking the noodles, attention is paid to wide soup, clear water, and a rolling boil, and the flavor soup is stewed with pork leg bones and old hen. There are dozens of toppings, from the popular shredded pork and hot-and-sour to the high-end crab roe and scallop, all available and served as soon as ordered.
A famous Chinese catering restaurant—Qinhuang Shifu
Qinhuang Shifu is a famous Chinese catering chain enterprise and has successively won many titles such as "Famous Chinese Catering Restaurant," "National Green Catering Enterprise," and "Symbolic Enterprise of Catering Culture." Its main branch is in Changsha, Hunan. The dish structure of Qinhuang Shifu is a comprehensive cuisine represented by the "delicacies of the seven states." It includes Hunan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Shaanxi cold dishes and pastries, as well as Jiangxi clay pot simmered soup, with Hunan cuisine (Chu-state cuisine) as the main part. Each representative dish has a culinary allusion, powerfully demonstrating the organic combination of culture and gastronomy.
An outstanding brand of Chinese Hunan cuisine culture—Haoshishang
Haoshishang Catering Co., Ltd. was established in February 2004. It was the first in the catering industry to launch an experiential service model, and with the concept of "consumption without thresholds" and its customer positioning, it quickly gained recognition and affection from customers of all social strata. The open river views, bright style, friendly service, and rich dishes laid the cornerstone of the "Haoshishang" brand. Haoshishang takes "inheriting and carrying forward" Hunan cuisine as its foundation and, in the process of continuous innovation, integrates the characteristics of other cuisines to carefully build the company's core competitiveness. In 2005, Haoshishang was awarded the title of "Outstanding Brand of Chinese Hunan Cuisine Culture."