Jinyun shaobing. [Photo/Lishui Daily]

A cafe in Shanghai's Huangpu district now serves premium coffee alongside Jinyun shaobing (a kind of bucket-baked roll), baked fresh in under five minutes by an intelligent oven.

The machine, developed by Zhejiang Changhong Food Technology over two years, automatically simulates traditional barrel temperatures to produce authentic cakes. It has been installed in nearly 20 cafes and tea shops across Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Beyond retail, the shaobing industry activates upstream farming — wheat, leaf mustard, native pig rearing, and dried vegetable processing — while boosting downstream training and technology exports. This creates a ripple effect where one product drives multiple sectors.

To strengthen the industrial chain, over 200 villages across 18 townships in Lishui's Jinyun county serve specific functions: Lutang village specializes in mustard cultivation and drying; Kunhong village in wheat production; Beishan village in baking techniques; and Taoyuan village in oven manufacturing.

Other villages and towns are expanding their cold-chain logistics and agritourism. The coordinated system guarantees that their strengths complement each other, fostering collective growth, according to Zhao Jiamin, director of the Jinyun ShaobingBrand Construction Service Center.

In 2025, the total industrial chain output reached 4.5 billion yuan ($66.95 million), up 12.16 percent year-on-year, directly employing 25,000 people and supporting over 50,000 jobs. The small shaobing has become a flagship industry for rural vitalization through regional collaboration.