She cited the salty cheese qingtuan from the grocery chain Hema as a favorite. For her, the appeal lies not only in the taste but also in the visual appeal and the fun of sharing seasonal food online. Reduced-sugar options matter too, offering a way to enjoy a traditional treat while staying mindful of health.
In early March, the time-honored brand Beijing Daoxiangcun launched its 2026 qingtuan collection. Blending tradition with more contemporary tastes, the brand introduced the "Spring Express" gift box, inspired by the scenic "train to spring", with flavors including taro paste and cheese, pork floss and egg yolk, and grape and jasmine.
Qingtuan's popularity is also part of a wider shift in China's food market, where time-honored seasonal foods are being preserved through adaptation rather than repetition.
Tangyuan, another traditional food associated with the Lantern Festival, has undergone similar reinvention in flavor, shape and nutritional positioning. Across the country, businesses are linking traditional foods with social media, contemporary packaging and new retail channels.
Even so, for all the experimentation, market data suggest that culture and taste remain the foundation. Consumers may be drawn in by novelty, but they still come to qingtuan for the sense of season, ritual and memory it carries.
That balance may help explain why qingtuan continues to resonate so widely.
For Huang Yu, it carries memories of family, fields and handmade spring food. For brands and retailers, it shows how a traditional product can stay relevant in a more competitive and visually driven market. For younger consumers, it offers freshness, novelty and social appeal. But at its core, qingtuan remains what it has long been: a small green symbol of spring, remembrance and renewal.
Its growing popularity says something broader about Chinese tradition itself. It endures not by standing still, but by moving with the times while retaining its meaning. As Qingming approaches, qingtuan's journey from ancestral offering to viral seasonal treat suggests that the taste of spring still has room to evolve — so long as it remembers where it came from.
