How Guangxi snack ‘snail rice noodles’ becomes signature industry to fuel poverty reduction

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By Hu Yuwei (Global Times) 10:40, February 14, 2025

Editor's Note:

In August 2019, in a reply letter to residents of Xiadang Township in Ningde, East China's Fujian Province, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed delight over local villagers being lifted out of poverty and living a better life. After 30 years of unremitting struggle by the people, Xiadang has become a place that is easily accessible by road with a brand new image, while local residents have a stronger sense of happiness and fulfillment, Xi said, "which vividly proves the old adage that weak birds take flight early, and constant dropping wears away a stone."

Early in 1990, Xi wrote an article titled "Water droplets drilling through rock," using this natural landscape as a metaphor for the process of poverty alleviation in economically backward areas. The article was included in the book Up and Out of Poverty, a compilation of Xi's major works from September 1988 to May 1990 when he was the Party chief of Ningde. The book, along with Eradicating Poverty, a book of excerpts from discourses on poverty alleviation by Xi, has been published in different languages to provide reference points for other countries to shake off poverty.

In light of this, the Global Times is launching the series "constant dropping wears away a stone," to share compelling poverty alleviation stories. In this first installment, we focus on three cases demonstrating how small industries bring big happiness.

In the bustling alleys of Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the aroma of snail rice noodles, or Luosifen, wafts through the air, drawing locals and visitors alike into the myriad of shops that line the narrow streets. The dish of rice noodles boiled with pickled bamboo shoots, dried turnip, fresh vegetables, and peanuts in spiced river snail soup - a little stinky but flavorful - has surged in popularity across China and beyond, becoming a culinary emblem of Liuzhou and a symbol of China's gastronomic culture in the world.

This bowl of Luosifen embodies how over a hundred impoverished villages in Liuzhou triumphed in the battle against poverty before 2020, transforming the city into the vibrant hub it is today while elevating a local delicacy into a global stage.

In the heart of Liuzhou, the local community has harnessed the potential of snail rice noodles to fill farmers' pockets, forge new pathways out of poverty, and drive industrial development. As the demand for this delicacy skyrocketed, the agricultural sectors supplying its ingredients flourished, becoming a vital engine for revitalizing both the local economy and rural communities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited machinery manufacturer Guangxi Liugong Group Co., Ltd., and a food-processing zone for local specialty Luosifen rice noodles on April 26, 2021. He learned about the reform and innovation of enterprises, and the development of the manufacturing industry and distinctive local businesses, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Noting that developing signature industries is a practical measure to boost the real economy, Xi called for more support for private enterprises to help them grow. The snack industry is just a part of China's rural industries, which range from planting and breeding to agricultural product processing and tourism, according to Xinhua.

This dish, once a simple street food, has become a key to industrial advancement and a beacon of hope for poverty alleviation. Farmers now enjoy stable incomes and local job opportunities, while businesses export high-quality, distinctive products overseas. Young entrepreneurs are returning to their hometowns to realize their dreams of success.

Now, under Xi's encouragement, the aspirations of the local community are creating a tapestry of prosperity woven with the threads of snail rice noodles.

A bite of China

To promote Liuzhou's culinary culture and stimulate related consumption, in 2010, Liuzhou launched initiatives to promote Luosifen beyond its local area, and in 2012, Luosifen gained fame through the hit documentary "A Bite of China." Since then, Liuzhou Luosifen has continued to gain popularity, giving rise to a pre-packaged Luosifen market.

In 2014, the first packaged snail noodles were introduced to the market. This local delicacy, once challenging to preserve and transport, began its journey to national prominence.

Today, packaged snail noodles are exported to over 30 countries and regions. Each bowl of snail noodles has generated more than 300,000 jobs, lifted 5,500 impoverished households and 28,000 individuals out of poverty, and stimulated the development of hundreds of thousands of acres of raw material bases, including rice, bamboo shoots, green beans, and black fungus. This has fostered an industrial chain encompassing agriculture, food processing, and e-commerce, Lu Shichang, director of the Snail Noodle Industry Development Center in Liuzhou, told the Global Times.