Click to read the original text for details Following purified water, natural water, and mineral water, the 'battle of the gods' in the boiled water market is intensifying. On a scorching summer day, the most thirst-quenching drink is still bottled water. Recently, Uni-President launched a new product—GQ Cold Boiled Water. From then on, the instant noodle trio—Jinmailang, Master Kong, and Uni-President—have brought the 'Three Kingdoms' battle to the boiled water market. Interestingly, Jinmailang's product is called 'Liangbai Kai' (Cold Boiled Water), Master Kong's is called 'He Kaishui' (Drink Boiled Water), and Uni-President's is 'Liang Kaishui' (Cold Boiled Water). For consumers, these three product names are not only awkward and hard to remember but also easily confused. Beyond the instant noodle trio, Nongfu Spring and Want Want have also launched their own boiled water products. Following purified water, natural water, and mineral water, the 'battle of the gods' in the boiled water market is intensifying. 01 An 'Old Friend' for Chinese People, a 'New Player' in the Hundred-Billion Market Chinese people have always had the habit of drinking hot water, giving rise to the special market for 'Liangbai Kai' (cold boiled water). Unlike purified water and mineral water, boiled water has not yet been scientifically defined by professional institutions. According to the current definition on Baidu Baike, so-called boiled water, commonly known as 'kaishui' (boiled water), strictly refers to 'water that has been boiled.' 'Drinking hot water' is etched into the genes of Chinese people. French historian Fernand Braudel wrote in 'Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Century': 'The Chinese have a history of drinking boiled water for thousands of years, a tradition lacking in the West.' But in ancient times, boiled water was not accessible to ordinary households. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Tang, the Japanese monk Ennin came to China and saw that common people in Shandong 'never cooked soup, but only ate cold dishes all year round.' For the lower working class, in an era of fuel scarcity, they even ate cold meals, let alone boiled water. Even by the Song Dynasty, when tea drinking had become common among the common people, ordinary families still could not afford the fuel cost of boiling water, so tea shops selling tea became a good business. This situation did not change until the Republic of China period. With the popularization of germ knowledge, drinking boiled water gained 'scientific' support. Intellectuals began to call on the public to drink boiled water in newspapers, and the government also took on public health responsibilities, intermittently promoting boiled water consumption. In the economically developed southeastern coastal areas, specialized 'boiled water shops' even appeared. A survey report on the living conditions of Shanghai workers in the 1930s showed that due to low prices, workers bought not only drinking water but also cooking water directly from 'boiled water shops.' After 1949, the government strengthened propaganda for drinking hot water, repeatedly calling for 'repeatedly educating the masses to drink boiled and disinfected water, not raw water.' With official promotion, boiled water gradually became prevalent in both urban and rural areas. Urban residents' boiled water supply was mostly provided by their factories, mines, or government agencies, purchased with coupons, while rural 'public canteens' also provided boiled water. Writer Chen Xubin once mentioned, 'Regardless of urban or rural, rich or poor, most Chinese people could drink hot water at will—by the mid-1990s.' Data shows that in 1957, the national annual production of thermos bottles was only 30 million, and by 1997 it was 266 million. Today, drinking boiled water has become a consensus among the people nationwide. Middle-aged people with goji berries in their thermos cups is a standard sight. Even when going abroad, Chinese people habitually ask hotels to 'borrow a kettle to boil water.' Although every household now has boiled water, interestingly, in recent years, the boiled water market has attracted the 'covetousness' of commercial giants, and the former 'boiled water shop' business has returned. In 2016, Jinmailang took the lead in launching the boiled water product 'Liangbai Kai,' becoming the pioneer of the boiled water category. In 2019 and 2020, Jinmailang Liangbai Kai ranked first in national sales of bottled boiled water for two consecutive years, prompting Jinmailang to declare, 'With Liangbai Kai, we will cross the Yangtze River.' Data shows that in 2021, Liangbai Kai sold 2.4 billion bottles. Following Jinmailang, Master Kong also quickly launched its boiled water product, with a more direct name—'He Kaishui' (Drink Boiled Water). Within just one year, its revenue reached 1 billion yuan. Now, Uni-President has also launched 'GQ Cold Boiled Water,' and the instant noodle trio has 'reunited' in the boiled water market. In addition, established food and beverage giants such as Want Want and Nongfu Spring have also successively entered the boiled water field. Want Want launched Want Want Cold Boiled Water in 2019, first released in vending machines; Nongfu Spring announced this year that it would launch the boiled water product 'Bai Kaishui' (Plain Boiled Water). Although it has not yet been sold on the official website, it is reported that some distributors have already received the product at a price of 2 yuan per bottle. Data from the China Industrial Research Institute shows that in 2021, China's bottled water market size exceeded 200 billion yuan. Now, the addition of boiled water has brought familiar 'new players' to this vast track. 02 Why the Repeated 'Name Battles'? Although according to Baidu Baike's definition, boiled water is 'kaishui,' the bottled boiled water currently sold is not the same as the 'Liangbai Kai' or 'Bai Kaishui' we know. According to the definition in the 'China Beverage Industry Group Standard T/CBIA 007-2021': boiled drinking water refers to packaged drinking water made from water that meets the raw material requirements of GB19298 'Packaged Drinking Water' as the production source water, and processed through heating and sterilization at no less than 100°C. On many medical platforms, doctors recommend drinking 'bai kaishui' at around 30°C. Although bottled boiled water undergoes heating and sterilization at no less than 100°C, it obviously does not reach the temperature of 'bai kaishui' when consumed. Consumers also have many doubts about bottled boiled water: 'Why not just boil water at home?' 'Drinking boiled water means drinking hot water; can cold packaged water still be called boiled water?' 'Overnight water shouldn't be drunk; how long has the water in the bottle been sitting?' In fact, the production of bottled boiled water is far more complex than 'boiling water in a kettle,' so the boiled water at home and the boiled water sold in bottles are not the same. For example, Jinmailang uses UHT 125°C pure physical high-temperature boiling sterilization. When selecting water, Jinmailang uses high-tech reverse osmosis membrane filtration and French ultra-clean filling equipment, with a fully sealed process and 80°C high-temperature filling to ensure no contamination; Master Kong's sterilization process is similar, using UHT 135°C ultra-high-temperature instantaneous sterilization, which is also the highest sterilization temperature in the industry. Although boiled water is not the 'Liangbai Kai' we boil at home daily, it does not prevent giants from using words like 'Liangbai Kai' or 'Bai Kaishui' to name their products. The 'China Beverage Industry Group Standard T/CBIA 007-2021' clearly states: 'Products implementing this document may use common or colloquial names that do not mislead or confuse consumers, such as 'Liangbai Kai,' 'Bai Kaishui,' 'Kaishui,' 'Feishui,' etc.' It is worth mentioning that among the drafting units of this standard are Jinmailang, Master Kong, and Want Want. For Chinese people, the term 'shushui' (boiled water) is far less familiar and relatable than everyday concepts like 'Liangbai Kai' or 'Bai Kaishui.' This may explain why these giants would rather risk 'confusion' than use these words to name their products. With names that fit Chinese language habits, brands are also closely following Chinese culture in their promotion of boiled water. As the category pioneer, Jinmailang was the first to play the card of 'more suitable for Chinese people's constitution,' and on its official website, it also quotes Li Shizhen's mention of 'Taihe Tang' in the 'Compendium of Materia Medica.' The newly launched 'Twelve Hours' glass bottle of Liangbai Kai, inspired by 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival,' depicts scenes of daily life on the glass bottle in a serialized manner of twelve hours. Jinmailang Chairman Fan Xianguo once publicly stated: 'If there is a bottle of water that can represent Chinese healthy drinking culture to the world, then I hope it is Liangbai Kai.' His ambition in the boiled water market is evident. Master Kong is also adept at using Chinese culture. In related promotions, it has mentioned that He Kaishui inherits the wisdom of the 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' emphasizing 'mild, safe, and sweet,' and is called the 'contemporary Taihe Tang.' Nongfu Spring continues to emphasize its water sources. In previous interviews, it stated that Nongfu Spring Bai Kaishui continues the product concept of 'never using urban tap water,' sourcing water from Taibai Mountain. 'The mountain spring water here dissolves mineral elements from the rock layers, containing various minerals needed by the human body, with a crisp and slightly sweet taste, suitable for long-term drinking.' In the view of marketing expert Lu Shengzhen, boiled water has currently made a good market distinction from mountain spring water and purified water, and has also cultivated consumption habits. The boiled water market now has its own industry standards. 'Boiled water has officially become one of the three major mainstream water products alongside mountain spring water and purified water.' 03 Breaking Out of the 'Vicious Circle' of Water Sources Unlike other soft drinks, bottled water is difficult to differentiate in taste. For a long time, the differentiated competition among giants has been more reflected in water sources. According to the ranking of benefits to the human body, the generally accepted conclusion is: natural mineral water (from deep underground) is better than natural water (from surface sources like rivers and lakes), and natural water is better than purified drinking water (from public water supply systems). This ranking is not only the core of the giants' 'battles' but also the evolution path of China's bottled water. In 2000, Nongfu Spring declared, 'Stop producing purified water, switch to natural water!' firing the first shot in the water source war. Nongfu Spring publicly compared natural water with purified water and used cases to 'prove' that natural water is healthier, which angered Wahaha into suing Nongfu Spring for 'unfair competition,' but the idea that natural water is better than purified water has long been deeply rooted in people's minds. While Nongfu Spring and Wahaha were still in court, Master Kong, following Nongfu Spring's example, created a new category—mineralized water. In 2008, Master Kong added the description 'high-quality water source,' but at that time, an article titled 'Master Kong, Where Is Your High-Quality Water Source?' spread online. The article questioned whether Master Kong's water might be tap water, rather than the 'high-quality water source' it advertised. Under public pressure, Master Kong eventually publicly apologized: the water source was indeed tap water. That same year, Nongfu Spring changed its advertising slogan to 'We are just porters of nature,' further strengthening its category position as natural water. But Nongfu Spring also did not escape being compared. In 2013, Evergrande Spring Water was launched, with the concept 'Not all natural water is good water; we do not transport surface water,' directly targeting Nongfu Spring's water as merely natural water, not natural mineral water. However, to produce mineral water, one needs a 'Mineral Resources Mining License,' which is notoriously difficult to obtain in the industry, leading many licensed water companies to enthusiastically tell their 'water-seeking journeys.' Now, boiled water has emerged, forcibly dividing water into two major categories—'boiled water' and 'raw water'—breaking out of the 'vicious circle' of water source competition. Xu Jian, Deputy Secretary-General of the China National Food Industry Association, pointed out that bottled raw water is disinfected with ozone reagents, posing a risk of bromate residue. Jinmailang's boiled water production process not only thoroughly kills harmful bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa but also avoids the bromate problem. Dr. Zhong Kai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Health Communication Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, explained that the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed bromate on the 2B carcinogen list, meaning there is no conclusive evidence that it can cause cancer in animals and humans. Regardless of the carcinogenicity of bromate, for consumers, it is a too professional term. But this does not prevent consumers from believing that 'boiled water' is better than 'raw water,' nor do they find the slogan 'boiled water is more suitable for Chinese people's constitution' contrary to common sense. After all, compared to the differences among purified water, natural water, and natural mineral water, the distinction between boiled water and raw water is clearer to Chinese people, and companies' market education work has long been done thoroughly. In terms of pricing, boiled water is generally priced below 3 yuan, targeting the mid-to-low-end market. For different companies, the original intentions for entering the boiled water market also differ. As the leader, starting in 2018, Jinmailang Liangbai Kai maintained the industry's fastest growth rate for nine consecutive quarters, and in 2020, Liangbai Kai's revenue exceeded 2 billion yuan. The rise of the boiled water business undoubtedly adds fuel to Jinmailang's IPO sprint. Master Kong has been lagging behind Nongfu Spring and C'estbon in recent years. Now, its layout in the boiled water business may also be an attempt to overtake on a curve. Zhu Danpeng, a Chinese food industry analyst, believes that given Master Kong's market share and advantages in brand, team, and customers, it should be able to achieve full coverage of the boiled water market in a short time. For Nongfu Spring, entering the boiled water market is not only about expanding categories but also about ensuring its industry position is not shaken. In the view of Shen Meng, director of Chanson Capital, Nongfu Spring's proactive launch of mid-to-low-end products like Bai Kaishui, attacking competitors' core markets in reverse, can both increase competitive pressure on rivals and alleviate Nongfu Spring's own performance pressure. 04 Conclusion When one-yuan bottled water disappeared, China's bottled water market experienced consumption upgrading. Data shows that in the German consumer market, high-quality mineral water accounts for over 90% of the bottled water market, with a very low proportion of surface water. However, in China, 80% of bottled water is composed of surface water, and the market share of high-quality mineral water is less than 20%. In terms of per capita mineral water consumption, German residents consume 171 liters per year, and Italians 179 liters per year. In contrast, Chinese residents consume only 1.5 liters per year, less than one percent of the above developed countries. Mineral water has become the fastest-growing segment in the immediate drinking water track, and competition is also the fiercest. Genki Forest also vigorously promoted its 'Youkuang' mineral water this year, attempting to compete with many giants. Currently, the bottled water industry pattern is relatively stable, with Nongfu Spring, C'estbon, Master Kong, Ganten, Wahaha, and Ice Dew firmly occupying the top six positions. But the market needs new stories, and boiled water has propped up a new battlefield. Source: Guanchao New Consumption (ID: TideSight) Author: Qing Ling -END-