With winter just beginning, Beijing has already turned quite chilly. But what kind of cold beverages or icy treats could tempt young people to queue for extended periods in this season? A stroll down Wangfujing Street in downtown Beijing reveals an answer—Wuyutai's matcha ice cream.

Wuyutai, a time-honored Chinese brand with a 130-year-long history, is celebrated for its tea. However, it has recently introduced new high-end treats, including matcha ice cream and petite cookies under its own brand.

In Beijing, Wuyutai stores are almost everywhere, with locations in nearly every street and alley, rivaling the presence of Luckin Coffee, a popular Chinese coffee chain. Yet, for young people who favor coffee and milk tea, Wuyutai has long remained under the radar. Traditionally, it's been a staple for elderly patrons who enjoy large bags of jasmine tea priced at just a few dozen yuan (with 1 yuan equating to approximately $0.14).

But now, this legacy brand has reinvented itself, emerging as one of Beijing's most niche, trendy dessert shops, often situated next to brands like McDonald's and Daoxiangcun, the capital's most famous traditional pastry and cake maker.

In the past, Wuyutai's paper bags were readily available for takeout, but now, wooed for their new designs, they're limited-edition items that can only be obtained with in-store purchases. As someone quipped, "The last time I had to make additional purchases just to get a bag like this was at Hermès."

Heritage brands like Wuyutai represent more than just businesses; they're living histories that carry the memories of generations. The most intriguing aspect of these brands is how they're tapping into popular culture to stay alive and connect with younger audiences.

Crossing over

In the documentary Amazing Time-Honored Brands produced by Tmall, a shopping site run by Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba, Cheng Xu, deputy general manager of Neiliansheng, a time-honored shoe company in Beijing, once said that while century-old brands abroad have developed into luxury icons, many of China's heritage brands have faced numerous setbacks, often becoming symbols of cultural preservation—rather than attaining high-end status.

Beijing's historical brands span over industries such as dining, tea shops, pharmacies, and apparel and daily necessities. According to the latest list of China Time-Honored Brands, released by the Ministry of Commerce this February, 22 additional Beijing brands were recognized, bringing the city's total number of time-honored brands to over 100.

In a separate initiative, the Beijing Time-Honored Brands Association began cataloging Beijing's legacy brands in 2013. As of May, the city boasted 259 time-honored brands, with an average age of about 140 years, and the oldest exceeding 600 years.

Now, these century-old brands seek to rejuvenate themselves by appealing to young consumers. Cross-over collaboration appears to be one emerging strategy.

Neiliansheng, a 171-year-old brand often referred to as "China's first cloth shoe maker" on Chinese lifestyle and e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu, received a new boost after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Known for its "thousand-layered sole" (qiancengdi in Chinese) cloth shoes, this intricate craftsmanship was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.

With its custom shoe created through a 90-step, fully handmade process, Neiliansheng's products possess all the qualities of a luxury item.

For Neiliansheng, enhancing brand recognition and expanding its customer base are essential steps toward reaching a broader audience.

To attract new attention and increase market visibility, Neiliansheng has chosen Daneigongbao Coffee as a cross-over partner.

The logic behind using coffee to attract customers lies in its broad acceptance and familiarity within today's Chinese market. According to Cheng, coffee is a well-established commodity, especially among younger generations who have embraced it as part of their lifestyle.

On the other hand, cloth shoes, a product with a history spanning 3,000 years, are gradually fading from daily use due to industrial advancements. "The brand is looking to the guochao trend, to make the traditional cloth shoes resonate with younger consumers," Wang Zhenhua, Retail Operations Supervisor at Neiliansheng, told Beijing Review. Literally meaning "national tide," guochao refers to products, from fashion to food to tech, packing traditional Chinese cultural elements.

By integrating coffee with Neiliansheng's brand culture, this collaboration represents a unique fusion of two distinct traditions.

"In the past, Neiliansheng was synonymous with fashion. Today, it has adapted to new trends, opting for more youthful designs and trendy collaborations," Wang said.

Guiding consumers to understand the craftsmanship of time-honored brands through cross-over products, further encouraging them to visit their stores, learn about the culture behind the brands and, ultimately, generate associated consumption—this is the value of cross-over products.

Ceaseless innovation and collaborations are what supports Neiliansheng in continuously attracting and retaining new customers, with its design inspiration coming from a wide range of sources, from the annual Chinese zodiac and solar term themes to the online game Honor of Kings, developed by Chinese tech titan Tencent.

"For example, we have the changongzhegui series. Its symbolism is excellent, even more so during this year's national college entrance exam [in June]. Many parents of exam takers wanted to buy a pair because it is considered an auspicious sign and its symbolism is good," Wang said.

The phrase changongzhegui literally means "breaking a branch of osmanthus in the Palace of the Moon," but figuratively, it refers to achieving great accomplishments or attaining high honors.

Feelings unchanged

New teams, fresh ideas, modern technologies, innovative designs and diverse channels are all essential methods for century-old brands to continue their legacy.

Innovation itself becomes another form of inheritance. At the heart of this endeavor lies maintaining the emotional resonance of customers and the mastery of craftsmanship.

It may seem surprising that a photo studio could sustain this emotional connection for over a century. In Beijing's Qianmen Dashilanr, a hub of historic brands, Dabei Photo Studio stands out at a prominent intersection.

Established in 1921, the century-old studio not only preserves cherished memories for generations of ordinary people but also documents the nation's progress and development. Since 1954, it has been the official photographer for the Two Sessions (the annual meetings of China's top legislative and advisory bodies which usually take place in March).

From its humble beginnings as a small shop, Dabei now boasts seven branches, carrying a century's worth of history and memories. It has become a gold standard in China's photography industry. The broader public mainly recognizes Dabei for its photography skills, which have been refined and passed down through generations.

"Throughout our more than 100 years of development, we have nurtured master photographers. Photography is no longer merely an art form; it distinguishes itself from the purely technical approaches of artificial intelligence (AI) that are prevalent today," Li Liting, Chairman of Dabei Photo Studio, noted in an interview with Beijing Review.

Even if AI can replicate images, it cannot recreate the authenticity of a fleeting moment and the heartfelt feelings that come with, he said. BR

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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