The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has launched the 2026 Time-Honored Brands Carnival, a nationwide year-long initiative to showcase both national icons and local heritage brands. The campaign will be prominently featured during traditional festivals, national holidays and major exhibitions, aiming to amplify the supply of high-quality products and services and better fulfill the public's aspiration for better quality of life.

According to MOFCOM statistics, China is home to 1,455 recognized "time-honored brands." These venerable names span 32 industries within the national economy. The food manufacturing industry leads with 275 brands, followed by the restaurant industry and the beverage and tea manufacturing sector.

These brands are custodians of profound historical heritage, boasting an average age of over 145 years. Remarkably, more than 60 percent have surpassed the century mark. Iconic examples include the world-famous Quanjude Roast Duck, founded 162 years ago, and Bianyifang Roast Duck, with an even more impressive legacy stretching back 610 years.

Within the context of economic globalization and evolving consumer trends, China's time-honored brands, as carriers of the nation's commercial heritage, confront a landscape of unprecedented opportunities and challenges. The Time-Honored Brands Carnival, therefore, transcends the scope of a mere commercial exhibition. It serves as a cultural bridge, linking the past with the future and tradition with modernity.

Renowned for their exceptional quality and distinctive character, products from these heritage brands are uniquely positioned to meet contemporary demand for personalized and premium goods. Initiatives that showcase and promote these brands play a dual role: They stimulate consumer spending, bolster domestic demand and, in turn, inject fresh momentum into economic growth.

This function is of particular significance as the country actively pursues policies aimed at expanding domestic consumption, underscoring the carnival's timely and strategic importance.

Many time-honored brands have unique production techniques and secret recipes, and this intangible cultural heritage will be visually presented throughout the carnival. For example, Tongrentang's traditional Chinese medicine processing techniques, Zhang Xiaoquan's scissor-forging techniques and Wang Xingji's fan-painting techniques will be demonstrated on site, bringing traditional techniques from workshops to the public and stimulating the willingness to learn and inherit these traditions among younger generations.

These old names in business are often closely linked to specific regions and lifestyles, becoming materialized symbols of collective memories. The carnival enhances regional cultural identity through methods such as scene recreation and storytelling. For example, in Beijing, the carnival recreates the commercial scenes of old alleyways, the hutongs, while in Shanghai, the carnival highlights the city's business culture.

The carnival is more than a showcase of tradition; it is a dynamic laboratory for its integration with modernity. By embracing innovative presentations and contemporary product forms, time-honored brands are being reconnected with modern aesthetics and lifestyles. For instance, traditional pastry makers are launching low-sugar healthy series, while century-old tea shops are crafting new-style tea drinks. The carnival serves as a market test for these innovations, promoting the adaptive evolution of traditional culture.

Centered on experiential consumption, these activities, through exhibitions, interactive workshops and storytelling, inject new vitality into heritage brands. Their importance extends far beyond commerce, touching upon cultural inheritance, economic revitalization and enhanced social recognition. By creating unique consumption scenarios, they effectively stimulate consumer interest. This "culture + consumption" model thus offers a compelling new pathway for expanding domestic demand and driving consumption upgrading.

Some carnival sites also feature dedicated international exhibition areas, inviting foreign traditional brands to participate and in turn creating a platform for cross-cultural dialogue. Such exchanges will not only promote communication, but also create opportunities for time-honored brands to develop an international market. Through the carnival, more and more tourists and businesspeople from overseas will better understand the profound heritage and contemporary development of Chinese business culture.

The Time-Honored Brands Carnival is more than a platform for brand promotion and consumption stimulation. It is a catalyst for economic upgrading, brand innovation and local development.

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

Comments to lanxinzhen@cicgamericas.com