“Boss, one grilled live fish with fermented chili flavor!” On the evening of December 20th, the banks of the Gongshui River in Xuan’en were brilliantly lit. The aroma of live fish grilling over charcoal filled the air, and the bustling sounds from the grilled fish shops stretched from the main street deep into the alleys.

Not long ago, Xuan’en Grilled Live Fish was selected for the “Most Hubei” Flavor Journey’s Top Ten Must-Try Foods list, becoming one of the ten culinary delights recommended by Hubei’s cultural and tourism sector to national tourists.

In just a few years, it has grown from a street food into a “golden name card.” What’s the secret behind this?

“We used to rely on experience for grilling fish, but now we have to follow ‘competition standards’!” Liu Jincheng, owner of the Xuan’en Riverside Grilled Live Fish shop, still remembers the tension and excitement from the grilled live fish competition.

Starting last year, the Xuan’en County Federation of Trade Unions moved labor competitions into the food market, successively hosting a Grilled Live Fish Carnival and a Xuan’en Grilled Live Fish Competition, attracting businesses from across the county to compete on the same stage and showcase their best skills.

“The judges weren’t the only ones scoring; tourists were too. We pulled out all the stops, hoping the flavor would make them stay,” Liu Jincheng said. From selecting ingredients, marinating, grilling, to seasoning, he strives for perfection in every step.

Multiple “competitions to promote training” sessions have comprehensively pushed practitioners to upgrade their skills—from product flavor and food safety to service attitude. “We used to marinate fish by feel, now we have to precisely control the salt-to-sugar ratio. We used to grill by judging the fire, now we have to learn to use temperature control equipment,” said Chen Guoqiang, owner of Brother Qiang’s Grilled Live Fish shop with 28 years of experience. He noted that the competitions not only boosted consumption but also established standards for the entire industry, setting benchmarks for ingredient freshness, operational hygiene, and service response speed.

Behind the sizzling grilled fish is the vivid practice of the Xuan’en County Federation of Trade Unions using labor and skill competitions as a lever to propel “small grilled fish” into a “big industry.”

Today, the number of grilled fish shops in Xuan’en has rapidly grown from just over 10 to 160. They have innovatively developed 24 different flavors and cultivated the “Xuan’en Grilled Fish Master” labor service brand. The county sells over a million grilled live fish annually, with a comprehensive output value exceeding 1.5 billion yuan, directly providing more than 2,000 jobs and indirectly driving employment for over 10,000 people in related sectors like aquaculture and agricultural product sales.

Beyond grilled live fish, the local focus has also turned to specialty industries like Gong tea and golden pears. Facing a talent gap in the tea industry, the County Federation of Trade Unions implemented a tiered competition strategy. Large-scale tea enterprises hold comprehensive skill contests at least once a year; professional cooperatives organize specialized competitions for spring tea picking and handmade tea processing according to the farming season; and small and micro-enterprises flexibly conduct “micro-competitions,” supported by a “subsidy-by-reward” policy.

Currently, competition coverage among the county’s large-scale tea enterprises has reached 100%, and a group of skilled tea industry professionals proficient in both technique and management have emerged.

It is reported that the Xuan’en County Federation of Trade Unions organizes over 30 national, provincial, and prefectural-level “trade union” branded activities annually, including the “Trade Union Cup” series of ball games and the China National Folk Dragon Boat Open, with participation exceeding 100,000 person-times. “Competition is not the end goal; nurturing talent, revitalizing industries, and warming people’s hearts are the fundamental purposes,” said the leading official from the Xuan’en County Federation of Trade Unions. They stated that the future will continue to deepen the path of “cultivating talent through competition and revitalizing industry through competition,” allowing more “small competitions” to release “great energy.”

Gongshui River

The Gongshui River is a major tributary of the Yangtze River, flowing through the mountainous regions of Jiangxi and Fujian provinces in southeastern China. Historically, it served as a vital transportation and trade route, and its basin is significant as part of the ancestral homeland of the Hakka people, whose distinctive fortified tulou dwellings are found along its upper reaches.

Xuan’en

Xuan’en is a county located in the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hubei Province, China. Historically, it has been a significant area inhabited by the Tujia ethnic group, with a cultural heritage that includes traditional stilted architecture and local folk customs. The region is also known for its natural landscapes, such as the Qingjiang River valley, and has developed as a destination for cultural and ecological tourism.

Hubei

Hubei is a central Chinese province best known as the location of the ancient state of Chu and for its association with the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. Its capital, Wuhan, is a historically significant transportation hub and was the site of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911, which led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. The province is also home to the UNESCO-listed Wudang Mountains, a cradle of Taoism and Chinese martial arts.

Gong tea

“Gong tea” refers to the traditional Chinese tea preparation and serving practice known as **Gongfu tea ceremony** (工夫茶), which originated in the Chaozhou region of Guangdong province during the Song Dynasty. It is a meticulous method focused on the art of brewing tea, particularly oolong teas, using small clay teapots and multiple short infusions to highlight the tea’s full aroma and flavor. This ritual emphasizes mindfulness, respect, and the social enjoyment of tea, reflecting deep cultural values of hospitality and refinement.

golden pears

“Golden pears” is not a widely recognized specific place or cultural site. The term most commonly refers to a variety of pear fruit known for its golden-yellow skin, rather than a historical location. Therefore, it does not have a notable history as a cultural monument or landmark.

China National Folk Dragon Boat Open

The China National Folk Dragon Boat Open is an annual competitive dragon boat racing event held in various locations across China, celebrating the traditional Dragon Boat Festival. Its history is rooted in the ancient folk legend of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet from the Warring States period, whose death is commemorated through these races. The modern open tournament promotes cultural heritage, community spirit, and athletic competition on a national scale.

Xuan’en County Federation of Trade Unions

The Xuan’en County Federation of Trade Unions is a local chapter of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) in Hubei Province, serving as a bridge between the Party, the government, and the county’s workers. Its history is part of the broader development of China’s trade union system, which has long focused on safeguarding workers’ rights and interests, promoting labor harmony, and contributing to local socialist modernization under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

Trade Union Cup

The “Trade Union Cup” is not a widely recognized historical or cultural site. It appears to be a modern trophy or award, likely created for competitions or events organized by trade unions to promote solidarity and sportsmanship among workers. Without a specific, documented history, it is best understood as a symbolic object representing the social and recreational activities of the labor movement.