Zheng Chunxiang, a member of the Shenhe District Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, serves as the deputy general manager of Shenyang's renowned Laobian Dumpling Restaurant. She is also the fifth-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional Laobian dumpling-making techniques, a title she holds with distinction.
Her accolades include winning the championship in the Chinese pastry category at the Liaoning Provincial Vocational Skills Competition, being named a Liaoning culinary master, and receiving the title of March 8th Red-Banner Holder in Shenhe District, Shenyang.
"In Northeast China, you must eat dumplings for the holidays," Zheng says. At the crack of dawn on Shenyang's Zhongjie Street, the kitchen of Laobian Dumpling Restaurant is filled with steam. Dressed in a red work uniform, Zheng wields a rolling pin with practiced ease, expertly rolling out wrappers, filling them, and pinching the edges closed. A beautifully crafted "Summer Solstice" dumpling takes shape in an instant. Between events like the "Northeast Super" competition, the Dragon Boat Festival, and National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, Zheng has been exceptionally busy. "I hope more friends from outside the region can get to know Shenyang through dumplings, and more international friends can understand China through them," she explains.
As the fifth-generation inheritor of Shenyang's Laobian Dumpling tradition and a Shenhe District CPPCC member, Zheng carries the nearly 200-year-old torch of intangible cultural heritage on one shoulder and the responsibility of fulfilling her duties as a political advisor on the other. Using the humble dumpling as a link, she connects the revitalization of time-honored brands, the integration of culture and commerce, and the warmth of people's livelihoods. Between the kitchen counter and the meeting hall, she writes the story of a new-era political advisor's dedication to her craft.
Born in Heilongjiang in 1986, Zheng came to Shenyang alone at 16. Starting from the most basic roles in restaurants, she eventually became an apprentice to the fourth-generation inheritor of the Laobian dumpling technique. Through diligent study and innovative effort, she took up the mantle of inheritance in 2016, becoming the fifth-generation inheritor. The nearly 200-year history of Laobian Dumpling relies on the unique "stir-fried filling" technique—lean-and-fat pork is stir-fried to release its aroma, then mixed with broth to lock in the savory juices. Zheng adheres to the principle of "preserving tradition without being rigid, and innovating without forgetting the roots," striving to make this ancient heritage appealing to modern consumers. She has delved into the customs of the 24 solar terms to develop seasonal dumplings, blended traditional pastry aesthetics to create over a hundred types of steamed dumplings shaped like flowers, birds, and zodiac animals, and even launched soccer-ball-shaped dumplings during the "Northeast Super" competition, offering them for free with a game ticket stub. "The shapes and flavors of dumplings can change endlessly, but what remains constant is the genuine quality of the ingredients and the standard of service," is a rule Zheng has set.
In recent years, Zheng has been invited to lead the creation of a "Chinese Dumpling Banquet" in Beijing, showcasing the charm of Liaoning cuisine’s intangible heritage to international friends. She has also traveled with cultural exchange groups to Russia, allowing the aroma of Northeastern dumplings to spread overseas. With the rise of Shenyang's cultural tourism, the main branch of Laobian Dumpling Restaurant on Zhongjie Street now receives over one million visitors annually, serving a maximum of 3,000 diners in a single day, making it a landmark cultural tourism destination in Shenyang.
Zheng's dedication to preserving her craft extends beyond the kitchen. She strives to bring intangible cultural heritage out of the restaurant and into the community. She regularly visits neighborhoods and schools to offer free public heritage classes, teaching the stir-fried filling technique hands-on. In a community practice class, she meticulously explained the "three-step stir-fry method" as neighbors gathered to knead dough and make dumplings, fostering an understanding of food heritage through shared activity. During the peak "Powu" (the fifth day of the Lunar New Year) rush, she remains at the stoves, explaining the Spring Festival customs embodied by the dumplings to diners. As a "White Dolphin Loving Mother," she has also paired up to help underprivileged girls, using the warmth of dumplings and her gentle companionship to bring light to their lives. Over the years, she has formally taken on more than 20 apprentices and trained nearly a thousand others, building a "mentorship" inheritance pipeline and helping the Laobian dumpling-making intangible cultural heritage workshop be recognized as one of Liaoning Province's first batch of provincial-level intangible heritage workshops, ensuring the century-old craft has future practitioners.
Since becoming a member of the Shenhe District CPPCC, Zheng has taken on the added responsibility of serving the people. She deeply understands that the time-honored brands and heritage cuisine in the Zhongjie commercial area are core assets for Shenhe's cultural, commercial, and tourism development. However, she is also keenly aware of the operational pain points for small and micro catering businesses: consumer demand needing a boost, high platform commissions, insufficient linkage between cultural tourism events and dining, and inadequate supporting services for time-honored brands. To address this, she has conducted in-depth research by visiting streets, shops, and scenic spots, gathering feedback from restaurant operators, tourists, and the public, and has consistently submitted policy suggestions.
One of Zheng's key proposals, "On Improving the Business Environment for Time-Honored Catering Enterprises on Zhongjie Street to Boost Our District's Cultural Tourism Development," directly addressed issues like parking difficulties in the commercial area, lagging smart scenic spot development, and weak trademark protection for time-honored brands. With the district party committee and government's attention, relevant departments quickly responded by optimizing parking lot management in the Fangcheng area, adding tourist guide signs, advancing the construction of a "smart ancient city," and improving services for protecting the rights of time-honored brands. This has steadily improved the business environment for the cluster of heritage brands on Zhongjie Street. Another proposal, "On Boosting Dining Consumption and Promoting the Integration of the Catering, Cultural, and Tourism Economies," offered practical measures such as supporting time-honored brands, activating the value of intangible heritage, linking ticket stubs from events to dining consumption, and reducing burdens through collaboration between government, enterprises, and platforms. This provided valuable reference for the district government's decision-making.
On her journey as a political advisor, Zheng continues to advocate for the intangible cultural heritage sector. She persistently calls for increased financial support for heritage projects, the establishment of heritage experience bases, and the improvement of incentive mechanisms for inheritors to solve the problem of a shortage of skilled successors. She has participated in special inspections related to the construction of the Shenyang Fangcheng Cultural Tourism Zone and the upgrade of the commercial district, actively reflecting the concerns of merchants. Leveraging the provincial catering industry association platform, she promotes Shenhe's time-honored brands and helps local heritage restaurants, like Majiashao Mai and Liangui Smoked Meat Pancake, develop together. "Being a CPPCC member is not a halo; it's a heavy responsibility," she often says. "I want to tie the original aspiration of an intangible heritage inheritor together with the mission of a CPPCC member to serve the people."
A single dumpling contains a century of ingenuity, and a single word connects the life of a city. Amidst the bustling streets and daily life, the wisdom and strength of this female political advisor continue to radiate.
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