Chongqing, June 1st – Headline: Ten Years of Dumpling Donations: Aiming for Daliang Mountain Children to Become ‘Messengers of Love and Hope’
Author: Liang Qinjun
More than 600 kilometers, 9-hour drive, 500 Taiwanese pork dumplings were recently sent from Chongqing to an elementary school deep in Daliang Mountain, Sichuan.
These dumplings were provided for free by Zheng Hongmou, the owner of a Taiwanese restaurant, and delivered to Lidzhi Primary School in Qianha Village, Liangshan, Sichuan Province (formerly Bo’ai Primary School in Qianha Village). The tradition has never been interrupted for ten years.
“This is my promise to Daliang Mountain.” Zheng Hongmou recently said in an interview, skillfully wrapping dumplings while recounting that every bite tasted by the children is handmade by him, never forgetting them during the Dragon Boat Festival each year.
To accommodate long-distance transportation, he improved the preservation process, using vacuum packaging and low-temperature storage to ensure the taste and safety of the dumplings, which are classic Taiwanese pork dumplings. “Dumplings are not just food, but also carriers of culture. I hope the children can feel the significance of traditional Chinese festivals,” he said.
Zheng Hongmou learned cooking at 17 and devoted most of his life to the food industry. Fifteen years ago, he moved to Chongqing, and two years later opened a “Late Night Eatery” called “A Mou’s Shop” on Jiuxing Street, operating until the next morning. With a bowl of Taiwanese broth and a warm smile, he gained the affection of many customers.
While working, Zheng learned about Lidzhi Primary School through staff members on Jiuxing Street, which led to his connection with the children of Daliang Mountain.
Lidzhi Primary School is located in Daliang Mountain, with seven classrooms and currently 210 students, all of whom are Yi ethnicity, and 16 teaching staff members.
Zheng recollects his first visit to the school in 2017, when he set off from Chongqing at 6 am with a car full of charitable goods. After entering Daliang Mountain, the journey took an additional 150 kilometers, 14 hours in total due to roadblocks caused by sheep and landslides, making the journey arduous.
“When we arrived at the school’s entrance, the children were already dressed in ethnic costumes waiting. Seeing their smiling faces at that moment, all the hardship and fatigue of the journey dissipated,” Zheng recalled.
“Previously, the children didn’t have a deep understanding of the Dragon Boat Festival. Now they know how to wrap simple dumplings and the difference in taste between Taiwanese and Sichuan-Chongqing dumplings,” said Principal Chen Guan of Lidzhi Primary School.
Zheng has stored numerous thank-you videos from students in his phone. In the videos, students write “Uncle Mou, we love you” in large characters and jointly express their gratitude with dumplings sent by him on their desks.
This charity effort sustained for 10 years is viewed by Zheng as “just a small deed.” He hopes that when the children of Daliang Mountain grow up, they too can become “Messengers of Love and Hope.” (End)
