Beyond the hearth, zongzi still the heart of holiday

According to the 2025 China Zongzi Industry Consumption and Brand White Paper released by China Data Technology, China's zongzi market was expected to reach 11 billion yuan ($1.52 billion) in 2025, with year-on-year growth of about 7 percent.

The country's zongzi output rose from 450,000 metric tons in 2021 to 560,000 in 2024.

The white paper said the growth has been driven by the revival of traditional culture, the expansion of holiday gifting and the integration of zongzi with tourism and cultural experiences. It also reflected a broader shift in Chinese food consumption from simply "eating enough" to "eating better", as consumers placed more emphasis on quality, nutrition, convenience and emotional value.

For older generations, however, zongzi is still closely tied to home cooking and family memories.

Chen Guiying, 58, who grew up in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, said her family would begin preparing for the festival about a week in advance. Fresh bamboo or reed leaves were washed and soaked. Glutinous rice was left overnight until the grains became full and soft. The fillings were simple — red dates, red bean paste, pork, chestnuts, or salted egg yolk.

"There were no fancy gift boxes or unusual flavors," Chen said. "Every family made zongzi at home. Neighbors also gave them to one another. The fragrance of leaves and rice would fill the courtyard," Chen said.

In those days, zongzi was not a branded product. It was plain, filling food and a family activity. Children learned the skill from elders. Relatives shared the finished dumplings, and neighbors exchanged sweet and savory versions as a gesture of goodwill. The value of a zongzi came from the time and care put into it, not from the packaging.