Traditional glutinous rice cakes in South China grow into rural business

(ECNS) -- Ligao glutinous rice cakes, a traditional delicacy at Ligao Town of Liuzhou, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have grown from a household snack into a local industry.

Zhong Huiqun, a representative inheritor of the craft, makes the cakes by mixing processed glutinous rice flour, sugar oil and fillings, then pressing the mixture into wooden molds.

Zhong said the craft has been passed down in her family for generations. A 10th-generation inheritor, she learned the full set of skills from her parents and now teaches her daughter, Yang Yamin, to keep the craft alive.

The cakes have a steady customer base, with orders peaking around festivals such as Mid-Autumn and Double Ninth. They are sold in stores and online and to traders from nearby areas, and many repeat customers buy in bulk.

“They smell great, taste moderately sweet and use quality ingredients. I buy them in bulk for family and gifts,” said customer Feng Yiqin. 

Once a household snack, the cakes have become a signature agritourism souvenir of Ligao Town.

Their growing reputation has led nearby villagers to learn the craft from Zhong and take part in making and selling the cakes, boosting their incomes.

Liujiang District officials said they will step up protection of the craft as intangible cultural heritage and promote its integration with rural industries to support rural revitalization.

(By Helen Mo & intern Xu Wenda)