Xinxingyuan Steamed Dumplings

Xinxingyuan Steamed Dumplings

　　Among the staple foods of Jilin, Xinxingyuan steamed dumplings, Xiaoxiao Huosui (small fried buns), and Huiyoufa stuffed buns are highly praised. The yuan cage steamed dumplings from Xinxingyuan on Henan Street have long been famous, boasting a history of nearly 70 years. The dumplings are beautifully shaped, uniformly sized, with thin, shiny, and chewy wrappers, rich filling, and delicious taste. They are typically served with a bowl of clear soup, making them very popular with customers. They have now been included in the Jilin Pastry Spectrum.

　　Historical Evolution of Xinxingyuan:

　　1894: Dong Shichang opened a small restaurant called Dong’s Eatery.

　　1901: Dong Shichang hired Wang Zhaoyuan and Wang Zhaoji to work at his restaurant. The Wang brothers introduced yuan cage steamed dumplings, which they had learned in Shandong, to the eatery. At that time, the dumpling restaurant was one of the most famous eateries in Jilin, commonly known as Wang Family Dumpling Restaurant.

　　1920: The Wang brothers, Wang Zhaoyuan and Wang Zhaoji, took over the restaurant. They rented three storefronts on the west section of Henan Street and named it “Tianyixing,” mainly serving steamed dumplings and marinated meats. The brothers continuously innovated dumpling-making techniques and developed a new method of rolling dough — rolling out three wrappers with one press, achieving thin, even, and non-gummy wrappers, which became renowned as a unique skill.

　　1935: The “Tianyixing” restaurant expanded and relocated from the west end of Henan Street to its current location at the east end, north side. The site remains the same today. The famous chef Han Yu was the head chef, mainly serving yuan cage steamed dumplings, along with stir-fried dishes, banquet services, and the shop was renamed after Han Yu’s surname character “Yu,” thus changing from “Tianyixing” to “Tianyuxing.”

　　1948: After the liberation of Jilin, the local Chamber of Commerce assigned Qu Yunzhi and Yang Changxing to work at “Tianyuxing” restaurant, appointing Qu Yunzhi as manager (her husband had been an employee of the Wang brothers), and specially invited the former owner Wang Zhaoyuan to participate in quality management.

　　1950: Based on the original “Tianyuxing” restaurant, a new dumpling restaurant was reopened at the original location under the name “Xinxingyuan.”

　　1956: Approved by the municipal government for public-private partnership, Xinxingyuan Dumpling Restaurant merged into Jiangcheng Restaurant under the city’s Food and Beverage Service Company. During this period, the name was briefly changed to Henan Street Dumpling Restaurant (location remained unchanged).

　　1962: To preserve the traditional variety of the Wang Family Dumpling Restaurant, the city’s Food and Beverage Service Company separated Xinxingyuan Dumpling Restaurant from Jiangcheng Restaurant and established it as an independent business unit.

　　1989: Xinxingyuan steamed dumplings were awarded the “Golden Tripod Award” by the Ministry of Commerce.

　　1997: Awarded the title of “China Famous Snack” by the China Cuisine Association.

　　1999: Granted the title of “Century-Old Brand” by the Provincial Cuisine Association, recognized as a famous Jilin cuisine restaurant, the dumpling banquet was honored as a famous Jilin cuisine banquet, and also received the title of “China Famous Snack” from the Ministry of Domestic Trade.