How do you start your day? Congee? Baozi? Bacon and egg? Instant coffee? Fruit? Moldy bread? Not if you were headed to yesterday’s power breakfast with Nanjing’s Mayor. Therein, radish featured prominently, but the root’s connotations are not altogether positive.
Mayor of Nanjing, Han Liming, together with two deputy mayors, sat down for breakfast with 50 entrepreneurs yesterday, 18 May. The move came exactly 1 month after Nanjing Municipal Party Secretary, Zhang Jinghua, did just the same, but with heads of local R&D institutions as the guests.
In the eyes of many entrepreneurs, the use of breakfast time allows the government and enterprises to fully communicate, save time and not delay a day’s work. Without the constraints of regular meetings, the invitees feel more able to open their hearts and put forward opinions and suggestions.
- Breakfast of Champions; A Plate of “Guotie”
- Nanjing Carrefour, Auchan, Metro and other “Foreign” Supermarkets
- Nanjing Duck Blood Soup for Breakfast, Guangzhou Dim-Sum for Afternoon Tea
Attendees at yesterday’s power breakfast make for impressive reading; Alibaba, Huawei and ZTE, to name but three. Among those joining them was smart travel company, Nanjing Leading Technology (领行科技股份有限公司). Better known as T3出行, the ride-hailing competitor to Didi has grown into a unicorn enterprise in just 1 year.
Cui Dayong, Leading Technology’s CEO, admitted during the breakfast that the epidemic led to a sharp drop in the firm’s orders during February. “After breakfast, I am more confident”, Cui told The Paper. No surprises there; people do generally feel better with a meal in them.
Economic performances aside, it’s the menu that remains the talk of the town. Yesterday’s power breakfast attendees were treated to a bowl of skin and belly noodles, served with vegetable buns, together with a shrimp and radish pancake. By way of contrast, last month’s menu consisted of duck blood and vermicelli soup, accompanied by spring rolls and steamed dumplings.
- Chinese Food Rocks; Art as Food, Food as Art
- Noodles Noodles, My Kingdom for a Bowl of Noodles
- China’s Spicy Top Ten; Dishes that Power a Nation
While both offer notable Nanjing specialties, it’s the radish that’s got people talking.
It may not be so common to hear nowadays, but people in Nanjing have long been known as “big radishes” (大萝卜). Popular during the spring for being both juicy and sweet, Nanjing has a history of growing radishes. But the nickname comes in fact from a comparison of Nanjing people and radishes; unsophisticated, passionate and conservative.
During the breakfast, Mayor Han was able to reveal that going forward, the meal’s format shall change from “table d’hôte” to “à la carte”, perhaps an indication of something a little more… sophisticated.
With the Secretary and Mayor taking turns to host the now-monthly power breakfasts, we know that Secretary Zhang will preside on 18 June. Hence, just two six-million-dollar questions remain; how to get invited and just what Nanjing delight will be on the menu then?
