In a factory workshop in Huangchuan County, central China’s Henan Province, nimble hands stretch strands of dough with practiced precision.
The threads are kneaded, twisted, and carefully pulled apart with wooden sticks before being draped over high racks to dry, becoming the region’s famed hollow tribute noodles.
“Making hollow tribute noodles is my life’s work,” said Liu Laiwang, representative inheritor of the craft and head of Henan Wangxin Food Co., Ltd. “As an intangible cultural heritage of Henan Province, Huangchuan’s hollow tribute noodles embody the wisdom of generations. We feel called to preserve and pass them on.”
Dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the noodle earned its name when it was presented to the imperial court as a form of tribute. Made from high-quality wheat flour, sesame oil and salt, the noodles undergo more than ten intricate steps. The noodles are ultra-fine with a hollow center, offering a resilient texture that holds up well during cooking without getting mushy or clumpy.
In recent years, Huangchuan has actively expanded its noodle industry, aiming to achieve both social and economic benefits.
Liu’s company alone operates a 5,200-square-meter standardized facility with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes. The business has helped over 1,000 farming households in three villages under Fudian Town, Huangchuan County, lift themselves out of poverty, and has also supported nearly 2,000 workers across the county’s workshops.
Another local delicacy is the Shuangliu fish ball, a city-level intangible heritage item named after Shuangliushu Town in Huangchuan County, where the traditional craft originated. In a bowl of steaming soup, the glistening white spheres made with fresh silver carp rest gently before releasing their springy, savory flavor with each bite.
In a local shop, city-level heritage bearer and store manager Wang Juguo skillfully pounds fish meat into a paste, then squeezes it into pearl-like balls that are simmered to perfection.
“My family has been making Shuangliu fish balls for five generations. I’ve been at it for over 20 years,” said Wang. “With good fish, you get good fish balls — and they’re loved by locals and visitors alike.”
His business operates four chain stores, producing up to 5 tonnes of fish balls daily. Each employee earns over 3,000 yuan (about 419.59 U.S. dollars) per month.
Wang’s efforts have also supported thousands of local workers across the fish ball supply chain, while franchise stores have opened nationwide.
According to local cultural authorities in Huangchuan, to better preserve such culinary traditions, the county regularly holds free training sessions for inheritors of intangible cultural heritages, including hollow noodles and fish balls.
More than 2,000 individuals have received training, helping to transform craftsmanship into thriving industries that generate income and opportunities for local farmers.
In addition to its culinary heritage, Huangchuan is also embracing other forms of cultural innovation, such as turtle shell art featuring vivid images of mountains, trees, and rivers.
“Turtle farming is big here — Huangchuan is known as the ‘Kingdom of Turtles,'” said Zhou Zhen, a returned overseas doctoral graduate who is working to transform cultural heritage into creative products. “We’ve developed a full industrial chain for turtles, and our annual output has reached 1,000 tonnes, valued at over 400 million yuan.”
Zhou’s team is repurposing turtle shells into cultural products by combining them with art and design. Sales through e-commerce platforms have surged. With a background in new media and the digital economy, Zhou is utilizing live-streaming and digital marketing to breathe new life into local traditions.
“So far, we’ve trained thousands of rural e-commerce talents, launched dozens of entrepreneurial teams, and grown over ten Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) accounts,” he said. “Sales of heritage-based foods such as tribute noodles, fish balls, braised turtle, sugar roasted chestnuts and spicy soup have exceeded 80 million yuan.”
The revival of traditional crafts and local specialties in Huangchuan reflects a broader national push in China to preserve intangible cultural heritage and promote rural revitalization.
China’s intangible heritage has gained increasing global recognition, with over 40 elements inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage– the most of any country.
Under the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), intangible heritage is seen not only as a cultural legacy but as a dynamic force in economic development.
Across the country, efforts are underway to ensure that age-old techniques not only survive but thrive by adapting to modern markets and production models.
With plans to integrate immersive technologies, digital storytelling and livestreaming, local heritage in Huangchuan is being reimagined as engaging digital content to support rural incomes, according to Zhou
