[Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Special Line] (New Year’s News) A Taiwanese couple sells coffee in an ancient house with Huizhou fermented bean curd dipped in baguettes
China News Service, Hefei, February 18th: Title: A Taiwanese couple sells coffee in an ancient house, cleverly blending Huizhou fermented bean curd with baguette.
China News Service reporter Zhang Qiang
Recently, in Xixinan Village, Huizhou District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, the warm New Year sunshine shone on the neat thousand-year-old village. Xu Ruoxia and his wife Huang Min from Taipei, Taiwan were busy greeting customers in their bakery and coffee shop. This is where they are The fourth consecutive Chinese New Year.
On February 15, Xu Ruoxia (first from right) guided tourists in making bread in his shop. (Photo provided by the Propaganda Department of Huizhou District Committee)
Xu Ruoxia said that in Huangshan, every household in Huangshan must post Spring Festival couplets and prepare New Year dishes and pastries during the New Year. The village also holds many traditional folk performances, and the tourists who come to visit have brought popularity to the village.
Xu Ruoxia and his wife have opened coffee shops in tourist cities such as Guilin, Suzhou, and Yangshuo. During this period, the couple was invited by a friend to visit Xixinan. Surrounded by white walls, black tiles, small bridges and flowing water, they had the same idea in their hearts. This is the "place of peace of mind".
In 2020, Xu Ruoxia and his wife started starting a business and living in Xixinan, and opened a Western-style restaurant integrating accommodation, catering, cultural and creative products, etc. Xu Ruoxia said: "When we first came here, no one had opened a store in Xixi Nanzheng'er Bajing. We were the first."
Xu Ruoxia's store was formerly an ancient Huizhou dwelling. Out of love, he spent millions of yuan to renovate it. Xu Ruoxia introduced that the renovation of ancient residential buildings adheres to the principle of restoring the old houses without changing the main structure and original appearance. The main purpose is to improve its living comfort. "By selling coffee and bread in the old house, I want to contribute to the living protection and utilization of Huizhou's ancient dwellings and give the old house a new life."
On February 15, Xu Ruoxia introduced his innovative products to tourists in his B&B. (Photo provided by the Propaganda Department of Huizhou District Committee)
"To transform ancient Huizhou dwellings, we must first understand its architectural structure, cultural connotation, etc. We also did a lot of homework before transforming it." Xu Ruoxia said frankly, "What we want to do more is how to transform it on the basis of traditional culture. Bringing in modern thinking will revitalize ancient dwellings.”
During the Spring Festival holiday, Xixinan welcomed a large number of tourists. When some tourists were tired from walking, they would choose to sit in Xu Ruoxia's shop and taste bread and coffee. Xu Ruoxia said, "We have accumulated many repeat customers in the past few years. Nowadays, logistics in the mainland is very convenient. We can usually deliver orders to customers within 24 hours in the Yangtze River Delta region."
Put Huizhou ham into shredded radish pancakes; knead Huizhou's local dried tomatoes into Italian bread; mix Huizhou fermented bean curd into the dipping sauce of baguettes...Xu Ruoxia believes that the profound history and culture of the Huizhou region provide the basis for his product design Brings lots of inspiration.
Recently, Xu Ruoxia is thinking about merging Huizhou fermented rice cake with a British-style bread to innovate the traditional method of Huizhou fermented rice cake. Xu Ruoxia said: "Bread is an imported product. I think Chinese people should have their own bread. I plan to start from Huizhou and integrate Huizhou cultural elements into the design and production of bread."
Huang Min told the China News Service reporter that many villagers in Xixinan still live in ancient villages. The simple folk customs here were an important consideration for the couple's decision to stay here. "When we take a walk in the village, the villagers will take the initiative to say hello and chat with us. We don't feel strange at all. Neighbors also often send us vegetables and fruits they grow."
"Here, we perfectly combine work, life and hobbies. It is our ideal living situation and we are ready to take root here." Huang Min said.
In 2024, Xu Ruoxia and his wife will open another bakery to expand bread production, provide jobs for surrounding villagers, and attract young people to return to their hometowns for employment and entrepreneurship. "This year we will also do brand planning, starting from our story, hoping to inspire young people who want to come to rural development." (End)