中国·福州——热爱城市从热爱美食开始

When it comes to abalone, all eyes in the world are on China; When it comes to Chinese abalone, all eyes are on Lianjiang. Currently, in Lianjiang County, the “Hometown of Abalone in China”, abalone is entering its peak season for sales and processing.

How has Lianjiang unlocked the full potential of abalone? Follow our reporter’s footsteps to discover how this country is driving the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries, cultivating new growth drivers in the abalone economy, continuously sharpening its national advantage, and shifting from an online celebrity to sustained success.

At Xiangbin Biotechnology Co., Ltd., each abalone is flash-frozen to ensure freshness. (Photo courtesy of Lian Rongmei)

Rising with the Tide:

Leveraging Digitization to Polish a Golden Brand

As the birthplace of abalone in Fujian Province, Lianjiang has over 30 years of history since the first locally farmed abalone was born. According to the Bureau of Ocean and Fisheries of Lianjiang County, local abalone production reached 59,300 tons in 2024, with a total output value nearing RMB 5 billion, accounting for roughly one-third of China’s total production. Therefore, a saying goes: “One in every three abalones in China comes from Lianjiang.”

How can Lianjiang better burnish its reputation as the “Hometown of Abalone in China”? To get answers, our reporter visited Fujian Province Foryou Holding Co., Ltd., located in the Dongpu Industrial Park of the Lianjiang Economic Development Zone. There, doors remain open 24/7 as trucks carrying live abalone stream in. Inside, baskets of abalone are quickly processed through a seamless workflow: washing, slaughtering, high-temperature blanching, low-temperature cooling, and flash freezing with liquid nitrogen. Within an hour, each plump abalone is frozen to ensure freshness to maximize its flavor and texture.

“Our production line is running at full capacity, with orders scheduled out two to three months in advance”, said Chen Quan, Marketing Manager of Foryou Holding. “With peak season underway, we’re working flat out to source and process as many abalones as possible”.

Foryou Holding is a fully integrated abalone industry chain enterprise engaging in broodstock development, seedling cultivation, farming, food processing and sales, and industrial services. “Frozen abalone, in comparison to fresh abalone, has a longer preservation time. We’ve built a complete industrial chain from broodstock to table, supported by automated production lines and a 50,000-ton modern cold storage facility, which enables us to process 5,000 tons of premium abalone annually and meet diverse consumer needs in the market”, said Chen.

If the traditional fishery industry wants to get a share of the fierce market environment, industrial digitization is undoubtedly an important direction. In recent years, Foryou Holding has harnessed digital technologies to boost development and expand the sales of Lianjiang’s abalone across the country. “We’ve built a digital traceability system covering the entire abalone supply chain, thereby creating a safe, comfortable, and assuring consumption environment for consumers. We’ve also expanded our channels and customer base through e-commerce platforms like Douyin, Tmall, and Pinduoduo,” Chen is confident in the sales.

Similarly, Fujian Province Xiangbin Biotechnology Co., Ltd., also located in Dongpu Industrial Park, is running at full throttle. Fresh, high-quality live abalone is the key to popular abalone products. Every year during peak season, production lines operate around the clock for months, processing between 1,000 to 1,500 tons of live abalone per month. This efficiency stems from fully automated equipment, with human workers and “digital workers” cooperating seamlessly.

“Since last year, we’ve partnered with Walmart to launch two frozen abalone products: lively frozen abalone with shells and without innards and large freshly frozen abalone without innards. In less than half a year, sales exceeded RMB 20 million,” said General Manager Chen Xiuying. Today, many of the Company’s products have found their way onto the shelves of Walmart, Freshippo, CR Vanguard, and other large chain supermarkets and hotels, reaching consumers’ dinner tables.

Catching the Wave:

Promoting Refined and Deep Processing and Extending the Industrial Chain

Besides being used in soups, what other ways can abalone be enjoyed? Take abalone noodles alone, they come in a variety of flavors like numbing and spicy and braised abalones. There are nearly 200 types of pre-made abalone dishes, while high-tech products such as abalone protein peptides and natural taurine are even more impressive.

“Lianjiang abalone is of outstanding quality, but in a competitive market, we’ve been exploring how to increase its value and market share,” said Chen Quan, while touring Foryou’s pre-made food production line, where equipment for pre-made dishes runs at full speed. “We’ve developed dozens of pre-made abalone dishes based on Cantonese cuisine. Our best-selling item is abalone with black truffle flavor. Next, we’ll launch numbing and spicy and durian-flavored pre-made abalone dishes to appeal to younger consumers and make abalone more accessible and diverse.”

“Our company is one of China’s leading abalone processing enterprises, with an annual primary processing (frozen abalone) capacity worth RMB one billion and a value-added processing (pre-made abalone dishes) capacity worth RMB 500 million...” At Fuzhou Yuanfeng Marine Technology Co., Ltd., the profile column showcases its prominent position in the abalone processing industry.

Changing consumption environments have driven Yuanfeng Marine Technology Co., Ltd.’s transformation. Product Manager Shangguan Yanchao explained that with the rise of the pre-made dish industry, a variety of convenient pre-made abalone dishes have made it easy for even kitchen novices to prepare gourmet abalone meals, gaining immense popularity among younger consumers. The Company entered the abalone processing and pre-made food industry in 2019 and quickly rose to become one of the leading players in the sector.

Now, Yuanfeng Marine Technology Co., Ltd. supplies its abalone products to supermarkets and hotels, while also providing OEM services of abalone products to well-known food brands. It has also developed a wide range of signature pre-made dishes, including abalone Fotiaoqiang, braised pork with abalone, and abalone platters, aiming to build a national brand in abalone and pre-made abalone dishes.

The quest for refined and deeper processing never stops. Back in 2006, Fuzhou Rixing Aquatic Food Co., Ltd., based in Xiaocheng Town, was among the first to explore this path, investing RMB 10 million in abalone processing lines. In 2013, the Technical Specification for Canned Abalone Processing, led by Jiang Mingfu, chairman of Fuzhou Rixing Aquatic Food Co., Ltd., was drafted and formulated, which is the first technical specification for deep abalone processing in Fujian.

“In 2014, we entered the marine bioactive peptide industry, developing abalone peptides and natural taurine. This raised abalone utilization from under 40% to 80%, greatly enhancing its added value”, Jiang Mingfu is proud of it. Today, Rixing Aquatic Food is a leading full-chain agricultural enterprise integrating farming, processing, R&D, and sales, with abalone products involving rough frozen abalone processing, deep canned abalone processing, small molecule peptides and other marine biological products, and marine peptide bio-products. The Company has obtained 53 nationally authorized patents.

Leading the Tide:

Going Global, Spreading the Taste of Fuzhou Across Circles

Lianjiang’s excellent marine environment, climate, and water quality contribute to the unique fresh and sweet flavor of its abalone. As Fuzhou currently strives to become a City of Gastronomy, Lianjiang is actively developing its “World’s Fishing Capital” brand, advancing the global reach of its products, brands, and premium offerings.

Entrepreneurs from Lianjiang, who are characterized by “online adaptability and offline exploration and root taking wherever there is soil”, can’t stay idle!

“In our very first year of launching the abalone processing production line, Rixing Aquatic Food exported over 200 tons of its products, ranking first in the nation in terms of volume, value, and export frequency. Now we’re committed to making Lianjiang abalone not just an export but a global sensation and a hit across circles”, said Jiang Mingfu. In 2022, under the coordination of the CPC Lianjiang County Committee and Lianjiang County People’s Government, Rixing Aquatic Food teamed up with Academician Chen Jian of Jiangnan University to apply marine enzymatic hydrolysis technology and develop abalone peptides for use in functional nutrition, medical foods, and skincare products.

Currently, Rixing Aquatic Food can produce two tons of peptide powder and 100,000 bottles of peptide drinks per day. It is the first enterprise in China to industrialize bioactive peptides from abalone, making it a national leader in deep processing and marine bio-products. The Company is currently constructing a marine biotech industrial park in the Lianjiang Economic Development Zone to expand into the general health industry and the global market. “China’s largest marine bio-product production line is underway, and once completed, it will add 500 tons to annual output.”

The pace of globalization is being accelerated. Foryou Holding is collaborating with top institutions such as Jimei University and Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University to develop a wide range of abalone products: golden soup series, abalone sauce series, and braised series, while preserving the flavor and nutrition of abalones. These products are now bestsellers in domestic supermarkets and are gaining popularity in the United States, Canada, Japan, and beyond.

Xiangbin Biotechnology Co., Ltd. has also set up distribution hubs in provincial capitals with its abalone product sales network covering China and is expanding into overseas markets such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Singapore. Going forward, the Company will continue exploring refined and deep processing and develop more diverse pre-made abalone dishes with different flavors to suit varied consumption scenarios, ensuring that “Lianjiang abalone” Satisfies the “global stomach”.

(Fuzhou Daily Reporter: Lin Wenjing, Correspondent: Lian Rongmei)