Tradition reimagined
That cultural foundation helps explain why qingtuan has endured for centuries. Closely linked to Qingming Festival — a time for remembrance, tomb sweeping and the arrival of spring — its history dates back more than 2,000 years to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). In earlier times, it was used as an offering to ancestors and was known in various forms as qingming cake or ai cake.
Over time, it evolved from a ritual food into a popular seasonal snack. By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was widely eaten during Qingming by both aristocrats and commoners. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), fillings such as red bean paste and sesame paste had already become common, laying the groundwork for the qingtuan known today.
Its green color, derived from mugwort or wheat leaves, has long symbolized vitality, renewal and harmony with nature. Originating in the Jiangnan region, it carries not only the taste of spring but also cultural meanings linked to remembrance, filial piety and continuity across generations.
Yet, in today's market, qingtuan is also a case study in how traditional Chinese foods are being reshaped for younger consumers rather than replaced.
Shanghai offers some of the clearest examples. At Xinghualou, a time-honored pastry brand with a history of more than 170 years, staff are working flat out as Qingming approaches. Customers queue for long stretches to buy both old favorites and newer varieties. Zhi Jing, deputy general manager of Xinghualou, said the company has retained its signature products, including red bean paste and salted egg yolk with pork floss, while introducing new fillings such as a "spring three-fresh" combination of pork, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, as well as a red bean version with 25 percent less sugar.
Consumers appear to be responding to both novelty and familiarity. Sun Yunxiang, a 62-year-old Shanghai resident, said red bean paste remains her favorite, but she has also tried black truffle shrimp and bamboo shoot qingtuan and found them "surprisingly delicious". For her, the ideal balance is clear: old brands can come up with new ideas, but they should not lose the traditional flavor that gives qingtuan its identity.
Younger consumers approach qingtuan differently. Yang Xian, a 24-year-old university student from Nanjing, Jiangsu province, now studying in Beijing, said she often buys qingtuan to share with her roommates and occasionally posts about it on social media if she likes the flavor.
