Classic auto brand sets out on the road to renewed renown

The 10-day Hongqi Carnival got underway on Friday in Changchun, Jilin province, aiming to refresh the image of the Chinese premium vehicle brand and foster a reinvigorated automotive culture in its home city.

Hongqi is an inspiring brand in China, established in 1958 as the country's early auto industry started to grow.

For years it was the luxury car brand favored by China's political elites including former chairman Mao Zedong and was famous for its state limousines and parade cars.

Experiencing ups and downs over the past decades, the brand is currently emanating a vigor and vibrancy rarely seen in its history after a new Hongqi strategy was released in early 2018.

A number of new models ranging from the H7 sedan to the HS7 SUV have pushed up the brand's sales, and its brand awareness is rising fast thanks to its appearance on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and partnerships with other cultural programs.

The achievements have won praise from a number of celebrities ranging from Chinese actor Jin Dong and Olympic skating champion Wu Dajing.

They have shared their stories about the Hongqi brand and are part of Hongqi's effort to build a club of fans who are young but responsible, patriotic yet have an international vision.

The brand held a themed event open to the public from Friday to Monday and a gala for its fans on Saturday, which has enabled them to learn more about Hongqi and its classic models.

The 10-day carnival, which is co-organized by local authorities in Changchun, offers opportunities for visitors and fans to experience the rich automotive culture in the Northeast China city.

Just as Wolfsburg springs to mind when Volkswagen is mentioned, Hongqi and its parent company FAW are one of the first things evoked when people talk about Changchun in China.

"The city has witnessed the hard work from the start of China's automotive industry and also the glory of its march and accomplishments," said Xu Liuping, chairman of FAW Group.

Hongqi is helping to build up Changchun's competitiveness as the country's motor city with a number of activities and events during the carnival.

The carmaker said the efforts will further consolidate the image of Changchun and boost the city's economic and social development through investment from its partners.

Among others, the brand announced the establishment of a Hongqi College with Jilin University on Friday, which is part of FAW's framework agreement and the renowned institution of higher education in Northeast China to cultivate talents for the industry.

On Saturday, it held a forum with high-end suppliers, where they explored the latest development in the industry to offer comprehensive solutions for Hongqi's innovative technological blueprint.

On the same day, the brand kicked off the construction of a namesake themed town, which will benefit from favorable policies from the municipal authorities in Changchun.

It is also planning to organize a forum on Tuesday and Wednesday for auto industry professionals, which will not only help in the development of Hongqi but the city as a whole.

Hongqi and its parent company FAW are one of the most important companies in Changchun and in Northeast China as a whole, local authorities said.

Analysts expect the series of efforts made by Hongqi, suppliers, partners as well as authorities in Changchun and Jilin province will be of significance to the automotive industry as a whole. "Hongqi and Changchun have been together for 61 years," said Xu.

"Today, both of us set sail to open up a new chapter as the Chinese automotive industry transforms and upgrades, and we herald a new era as Hongqi strives to go upward and compete with first-class automakers in the world."

(China Daily 07/15/2019 page15)