Qingdao focuses on innovative rural industry development models

At the co-rich tea and food workshop in Aoli village, Haiqing town, Qingdao West Coast New Area, the workshop's manager, Ding Shiya, is showcasing the freshly cooked matcha huamo (decorated steamed buns) via live stream. 

As a landmark town in northern China where southern tea is grown, Haiqing town is leveraging its tea industry to boost development. In June 2023, Haiqing town established the co-rich tea and food workshop in Aoli village to mobilize idle labor and tea industry resources, supporting the collective economy of the village and increasing the incomes of villagers.

In addition to producing the distinctive matcha huamo of Haiqing, the workshop also customizes a variety of intangible cultural heritage huamo such as flower-shaped steamed buns and huamo cakes for festivals like Chinese New Year. It also conducts online live sales through e-commerce platforms. As Chinese New Year approaches, the workshop is busier than ever.

The huamo produced at the co-rich tea and food workshop in Aoli village, Haiqing town, Qingdao West Coast New Area. [Photo/WeChat account: qdxihaianfabu]

Having tasted success with the co-rich workshop, in January 2024, Haiqing town capitalized on the advantages of high grain production and the large-scale land management in Tianhe village to establish a new co-rich tea and food cooperative workshop, specializing in traditional steamed bread like sourdough mantou, a basic staple in China.

"We now steam around 7,500 mantou on average every day, mainly supplying nearby towns, enterprises, hotels, and canteens. As Spring Festival approaches, we've also taken on various customized mantou orders," said Song Ruifei, secretary of the Tianhe village Party committee.