Changle Iced Rice, A Taste of Coolness, Goes Global
Specially Promoted on CCTV Live News
Changle Iced Rice, A Taste of Coolness, Goes Global
On June 8 at noon, the program CCTV Live News aired a special segment titled A Cool Summer · Fuzhou, Fujian: Embracing Innovation, Changle Iced Rice Goes Global, covering the rising popularity of Changle iced rice in countries such as the United States and Canada. According to the host of CCTV, the global journey of this refreshing treat is also a testament to the locals’ spirit of continuous innovation.
CCTV first focused on Gao Yanqing’s iced rice shop located on Kuiqiao Food Street in Changle District. 63-year-old Gao shared that the shop has been open for 25 years. Originally just over ten square meters, the store has now expanded into a two-story building covering more than 200 square meters. “In summer, we sell up to 1,500 bowls a day, and customers usually wait in line for over half an hour,” Gao said. In recent years, delivery orders have also soared, especially during the peak season from April to October, with daily orders ranging from over 200 to more than 400.
Kuiqiao Food Street is home to eight iced rice shops, earning it the nickname “Iced Rice Street.” Located right next to Shiyang Station on Fuzhou Metro Line 6, this street has become so synonymous with the delicacy that many locals jokingly call Line 6 the “Iced Rice Express”. During summer, hopping on Metro Line 6 from downtown Fuzhou to Changle for an authentic bowl of iced rice has become a treasure route for many citizens and tourists to cool off in summer.
With a bustling street and convenient transport, shop owners are also innovating to add new twists to the traditional dessert. Offerings such as milk tea iced rice, coconut iced rice, jasmine iced rice, and durian iced rice have emerged. The combinations continue to expand, like iced rice paired with barbecue or crayfish.
To further promote the delicacy, Changle District hosts an annual Iced Rice Festival each summer, blending food, trendy music, and other cultural elements to attract tourists. A single bowl of iced rice not only embodies the taste of summer for Fuzhou locals but has also become a new driver of local consumption.
“Changle has more than 20 night markets and over 40 iced rice shops. Kuiqiao Food Street is one of the largest night markets in the district, with eight iced rice vendors generating over RMB 50 million in annual revenue,” said Chen Shuding, head of the Circulation Section at the Changle District Bureau of Commerce.
In recent years, Changle iced rice has even gone global, capturing the palates of international food lovers. “There’s an iced rice shop in Seattle, USA, opened by a fellow Changle native, and the business is booming. Changle iced rice has made its way to countries like the United States and Canada. We’ve gone global,” said iced rice vendor Gao Youxing. (Chen Jian, Reporter of Fuzhou Evening News)