——The Xinbaotang Story

Some people collect fine watches. Others collect rare wines or art. My family? We collect time.

My name is Chen Baizhong, fourth-generation keeper of Xinbaotang. 118 years ago, my great-grandfather, Chen Jiyao, opened a shop in Xinhui, Guangdong, China. He called it Xinbaotang. From that day, the Chen family began storing the intangible—time itself—slice by slice, in dried tangerine peel, and leaving it for the future. Chenpi, the cured peel of the Chazhi mandarin, is a unique element in Chinese culture. Today, I’d like to tell you this Eastern story.

The Roots: The Terroir of Xinhui

My hometown, Xinhui, is a remarkable place where land, river, and sea converge. The Pearl River empties into the South China Sea here, depositing silt. The tides bring salt. This "brackish water" creates a fertile floodplain. Shielded by mountains and facing the open water, Xinhui’s soil and climate are unique: rich in organic matter and minerals, warm, and temperate. Only the Chazhi mandarin grown here is the best. And only the peel from these fruits can become the finest Chenpi.

Over seven hundred years ago, during China’s Song and Yuan dynasties, a golden age of maritime trade flourished. Ports teemed with ships from Arabia, Persia, and India, carrying silk, porcelain, and tea to the West. Chenpi was among them. Traders, sailors, and overseas Chinese carried it across the globe. This is the root of Xinhui Chenpi. From the very beginning, it was never meant for just one village or region. It was born to travel—from the soil of Xinhui, along rivers and across seas, to the world. The West calls this Terroir. We call it Gen Mai—the roots and veins.

The Lineage: Four Generations of Guardianship

In 1908, my great-grandfather Chen Jiyao opened his shop—Xinbaotang. The name is humble: to him, Chenpi was the treasure of Xinhui. He wanted to preserve this treasure with the finest skill and share it with more people.

After him, my grandfather and father inherited the craft. They weathered fierce typhoons and the devastating "Huanglongbing" disease that blighted groves and washed away stores. But the worst disasters never broke them. They held fast, never giving up.

I was born in 1978. My childhood companions weren’t toys, but Chenpi. Our home was filled with it. From the age of eight, I slept in a room that smelled of aging peel. To me, Chenpi is family.

In 2004, I began learning the business from my father. I was immediately cheated—a bad judgment call in a purchase wiped out over 300,000 yuan overnight, nearly our family’s entire savings. That night, I sat alone in the storeroom, surrounded by the scent, feeling I had failed for the first time. Like I had betrayed time itself.

My father didn’t scold me. He sat beside me in the dim warehouse light, silent for a long while. Then he said, "The Chenpi your great-grandfather put away in 1929… it’s still here."

In that moment, I felt a strange, profound connection. From 1908 to my night of failure in 2004, nearly a century had passed. Great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and now me—four generations, in different eras, doing the same thing: waiting, honestly. Waiting for the fruit to ripen, for the sun to dry the peel, for microbes to work their transformation in the dark, for a piece of Chenpi to mellow from sharpness to depth. We are not mere merchants. We are guardians of time.

After that, I put away the business suits for simple cloth shirts and devoted myself to Chenpi. I wanted to bring clarity and reliability to the industry. Today, every piece of Xinbaotang Chenpi carries its own identity code, helping you choose the real thing.

The craft of making Chenpi is an art: harvesting the Chazhi fruit, skillfully opening the peel, turning it, sun-drying, and aging. Our Chenpi, with its three connected segments, symmetrical as flower petals, isn’t just for beauty—it allows each piece to breathe evenly. Yes, Chenpi is a living thing. And the longer it ages, the richer it becomes.

Science later confirmed that compounds like hesperidin and nobiletin in Xinhui Chenpi transform over the years. We don’t use these terms. We simply say, "It’s still changing." That one word, "change," captures the Eastern philosophy of time. The West says, "Time is money." We say, "Everything is in flux." My family, for four generations, has borne witness to time’s changes.

The Culture: The Wisdom of "Harmony"

An ancient Chinese saying goes, "Medicine and food share the same origin." Many things are both sustenance and remedy, for daily nourishment and gentle regulation. The body and nature are not opposed; health is a state of "harmony."

Chenpi embodies this philosophy of harmony. In Chinese homes, it’s a kitchen staple—a piece added to soup, steamed fish, or congee. It’s not overpowering or forced. It quietly coaxes out the essence of other ingredients, blending in its own subtle fragrance. We call it the taste of "He" (和)—harmony.

"Harmony" is a core concept of Chinese civilization: disparate elements achieving unity, humanity living in balance with nature.

To share this wisdom with the world, science provides the language. We’ve partnered with universities like Sun Yat-sen University and Guangzhou Medical University, establishing research labs. For instance, our Chenpi Ferment was studied in clinical trials at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, showing positive effects on sleep and metabolism.

Some ask: Does using science to explain Chenpi destroy its Eastern charm? Not at all. True wisdom doesn’t fear science; that, in itself, is a profound romance. Just as the West is fascinated by wine breathing in oak barrels, we are captivated by Chenpi’s quiet cultivation in clay jars. All things have spirit; time creates. In this, East and West understand each other.

The Invitation: A Sincere Offering

For over a century, Xinbaotang’s culture has remained unchanged: respect for nature’s rhythms, integrity in commerce, and a commitment to making only what is genuinely good.

In 2018, we opened our first overseas boutique in Macau. Now, I’d like to invite you to go further:

If you love food, bring Xinhui Chenpi into your kitchen. Add a small piece to tea or a stew. It doesn’t compete; it makes all flavors richer, more lingering.

 

If you care for wellness, try our Chenpi Ferment. It’s not medicine, but a gentle, convenient form of care.

If you love to travel, come to Xinhui. Inhale the scent of century-old Chenpi. See the land where mountains and waters merge. You’ll find that in this ever-accelerating world, some people still take time seriously, becoming its friends slowly and sincerely.

If you’re a mixologist, barista, or creator, experiment. Steep Chenpi in gin, fold it into chocolate, weave it into desserts. What sparks will fly when this ancient flavor meets your inspiration?

We’re not in a hurry to tell you how remarkable Chenpi is. We’re simply extending an invitation: smell it, taste it, try it. Then, you tell us.

Why choose Xinbaotang? Because Xinbaotang Chenpi is time’s best friend. We’ve translated the land’s gift, the sun’s warmth, the work of microbes, and the Eastern wisdom of "harmony" into a language the whole world understands: flavor. A flavor worth being seen, tasted, and remembered.

That invitation is now before you.

Xinbaotang—from 1908 to today. From my home to yours.