A historic bakery in Beijing experienced a dramatic surge in customer traffic this week after a high-profile visit from the nation’s leader during the Lunar New Year holiday period.
The establishment, known for its traditional pastries, was included in a tour of the city that also encompassed technology centers and meetings with business representatives. During the stop at a festive market, the leader selected a bundle of local snacks, reportedly costing approximately 45 yuan.
According to store staff, the chosen items included honey-glazed dough twists, cream-filled dough twists, and jujube flower pastries—a flaky, flower-shaped cookie with a red date filling. Dough twists, a fried pastry, are a well-known specialty in the capital.
Following the visit, the shop was inundated with shoppers eager to purchase the same items. The bakery reported having to rapidly restock to meet the heightened demand. One customer was quoted as purchasing multiple bags of the pre-packaged snack bundles to give as gifts to friends, citing the leader’s endorsement as the reason for their popularity.
In a separate stop, the leader also visited another local bakery, reminiscing about enjoying its butter rolls during childhood in the city’s traditional alleyway neighborhoods.
Past personal preferences of the leader have occasionally sparked similar trends among the public, reflecting a broader cultural interest.
