Source: bookface (ID: bookface000) Author: I am Brother Bo For many Chinese people, the happy fat house water in memory is not Coke or Sprite, but domestic soda is our exclusive childhood memory. In China, soda has a native place. Just as everyone has their own exclusive childhood, each city also has its own exclusive domestic soda. -01- Domestic soda 'Eight Heroes Battle for Supremacy' In the early 1980s, heroes rose in the soda world, and among them, there were eight dominant players, known as the 'Eight Major Factories'—Beijing Beibingyang, Tianjin Shanhaiguan, Qingdao Laoshan, Shenyang Bawangsi, Chongqing Tianfu, Wuhan No.2 Factory, Guangzhou Asia, and Shanghai Zhengguanghe (in no particular order). 1. Beijing's Beibingyang Soda 2. Tianjin's Shanhaiguan Soda—Designated Drink for Puyi's Wedding Banquet 3. Shanghai's Zhengguanghe Soda 4. Shenyang's Bawangsi Soda—Legend of a National Enterprise 5. Chongqing's Tianfu Cola—0.52 Points Higher Than Coca-Cola 6. Wuhan's No.2 Factory Soda—For the Country and the People 7. Qingdao's Laoshan Cola—One of Laoshan's Three Wonders 8. Guangzhou's Asia Sarsaparilla—Foreign Herbal Tea -02- The North-South Soda Dispute In 1768, British chemist Joseph Priestley dissolved carbon dioxide directly in water, inventing soda water, which refreshed the history of human beverages. In the Qing Dynasty, soda was introduced to China, and people called it 'Dutch water' because many foreign goods at that time came from the Netherlands. Because of the halo of foreign goods, 'Dutch water' was all the rage among dignitaries; it is said that Empress Dowager Cixi also loved drinking 'Dutch water'. By 1898, Chinese people also built their own soda factory—Suzhou Zidetang, and then different soda factories appeared one after another. Due to transportation limitations at the time, it was difficult to dominate the entire Chinese market, and coupled with different dietary habits across regions, regional soda factories gradually formed their own regional styles, leading to the north-south division. If you observe carefully, you will find that in China's soda world, northern sodas are mostly fruit-flavored, while the south loves to make health-preserving colas. Probably because northerners love barbecue, sweet and sour soda can relieve greasiness, so it is more popular. Whether it's instant-boiled mutton, braised offal, fried liver, or yellow braised chicken, or grilled meat rice, as long as it's Beijing food, it goes well with Beibingyang. The sweetness is just right, with a refreshing orange aftertaste—one word: 'refreshing'. Chinese people, well-versed in the way of health preservation, integrate health preservation into every aspect of life. Asia Sarsaparilla is a case in point; it debuted under the banner of foreign herbal tea. Top-tier Tianfu Cola is also extraordinary; it had the endorsement of Tongji Medical University. Laoshan Cola is even more unique; its water source comes from Laoshan mineral water, one of the three major groundwater systems, rich in minerals and various essential trace elements for the human body. To reduce sugar usage, black dates are added to the formula, along with more than ten Chinese herbs such as Angelica dahurica, cardamom, galangal, and cloves. It can be said to be a healthy cola made in China. After a sip, you feel a fairy aura rising to your forehead. -03- Water Submerges the Seven Armies, Nirvana Rebirth In the early 1990s, the Chinese soda market was still controlled by major domestic soda brands. Although they were not ambitious enough to unify the beverage market, they were worthy of being 'local overlords', making it difficult for Pepsi and Coca-Cola to enter the Chinese market. However, the wealthy Coca-Cola had its own 'trick'; it waved its money and sneered, 'If we can't beat you, we'll buy you out!' Coca-Cola and Pepsi, under the banner of joint ventures, acquired seven of the eight major factories except Zhengguanghe. Except for Shanghai's salt soda, which escaped, the other factories fell, historically known as 'Water Submerges the Seven Armies'. At that time, people thought it was just foreign investment, but who knew they wanted to take over the entire Chinese soda market in one fell swoop. After huge investment and shareholding, on one hand, they controlled the production and sales channels of local sodas, using them for local production and distribution; on the other hand, as shareholders, they weakened the market promotion of local sodas and suppressed their exposure. For example, Tianfu Cola, once extremely popular, after a four-year joint venture with Pepsi, its market share plummeted from over 75% to only 1%! Li Peiquan, one of the founders of Tianfu Cola, once admitted: 'During the joint venture cooperation, we basically didn't understand market rules, were deceived many times, and suffered many losses.' Except for a few sodas that gritted their teeth and held on, other domestic sodas that suffered silently were unable to recover, gradually disappeared, and retreated from the scene for 20 years. The once thriving Chinese soda world eventually declined. But the story of Chinese soda would not easily come to an end; as time passed, the awakened Chinese sodas were not to be trifled with. In 2000, several domestic soda enterprises regained their operating rights through lawsuits and share buybacks, and began to relist and operate. In this new battle, no one knows whether these veterans can shine again. It is not easy for old sodas that have disappeared for 20 years to return; besides selling nostalgia, they also need to cater to the needs of young people. Wuhan No.2 Factory Soda relies on 'being creative', launching new packaging and flavors every month, targeting collectors; Laoshan Cola develops new products, and with the 'fairy water' Laoshan Baihua Snake Grass Water, it becomes popular in Africa; No matter how difficult the road ahead, I hope this taste from memory can be passed down from generation to generation, and the flame never dies. Jia Pingwa said: A person's stomach has a memory function; what a person loves to eat when young leaves a deep imprint on the taste buds. As we grow up, we try various drinks, but childhood memories still seem nostalgic, and we gradually begin to understand the older generation's persistence for a bottle of soda. The memory of the tongue is hometown; one day, meeting these sodas in a foreign land brings back the chattering childhood memories. Whether in life or the workplace, things are often colorful, but the more we go on, the more we savor that previous taste. Taste is truly a magical thing. 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