Some traditional food and drinks in Liaoning province with a long, rich, colorful history need to be given some new luster if they are to survive, according to a member of the provincial People's Political Consultative Conference, who explains that the fast pace of life, urbanization, and fierce market competition in recent years, have caused these old favorites to decline.

Cui Tao made the remark at a recent session of the 11th Liaoning CPPCC and called for the use of new business models by saying, "We need to fully protect these traditional food and drink brands, which are part of our legacy, and we need to revive them through market competition."

Cui went on to explain that part of the problem is with incompetent management, a lack of capital, and a lack of professionals.

The comment and proposal for a revival actually came in response to a call by the province service industry association for help in this matter, where one association official said, "Our focus needs to be the standardization of ingredients and processing and distribution, with large-scale operations and increased market competitiveness."

The official concluded by noting, "Big brands from China and abroad show us that it is important to keep developing with an international vision. This is the key to ensuring that these brands stay competitive over time."

Making dumplings at the Laobian restaurant, in Shenyang, Liaoning. [Photo by Zhang Wenkui/Xinhua]