Craftsmanship Inherited, Technology Empowered—Revitalizing a Millennium-Old Soy Tradition

Cai Shuiqi, General Manager of Zuming Bean Products Co., Ltd., also serves as a member of the Zhejiang Provincial Youth Federation, Vice President of the Zhejiang Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Vice President of the Zhejiang Young Entrepreneurs Association, and a Standing Committee member of the Hangzhou Youth Federation. He is a representative young entrepreneur in the soy foods industry who blends global vision with local practice

Born into a family long engaged in soy foods, Cai was immersed in the industry from an early age. In 2006, he pursued a Master’s degree in Business Management at the University of Greenwich in the UK, gaining an international perspective. Upon graduation, he chose to forgo attractive opportunities abroad and returned to join Zuming, taking on the mission of brand inheritance and innovation—embarking on a new phase of entrepreneurship.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Hangzhou’s Binjiang District, Zuming Bean Products Co., Ltd. is a large integrated enterprise spanning R&D, manufacturing, and sales. Its portfolio covers fresh soy foods, plant-protein beverages, soy-based snacks, and other categories. The company owns seven wholly-owned subsidiaries, three holding subsidiaries, three second-tier subsidiaries, and six branches. Its business extends across Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shanghai, Beijing, Shanxi, Guizhou, Hubei, and other regions, with some products exported to the United States, Australia, Canada, South Korea, and more.

Zuming currently operates seven major production bases nationwide, totaling 380 mu (approx. 25.3 hectares/62.6 acres), with 310,000 m² of standard plant area and an annual soybean processing capacity exceeding 150,000 tons. As a leading brand in the Yangtze River Delta (Jiangsu–Zhejiang–Shanghai), Zuming enjoys strong regional recognition. The company has been named a National Key Leading Enterprise in Agricultural Industrialization, a National Model Enterprise for Agricultural Product Processing, a Zhejiang Provincial Agricultural Leading Enterprise, and a Zhejiang Provincial Sci-Tech Agricultural Leading Enterprise. It is among the drafting organizations for Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) international standards, national standards, and multiple industry standards. Zuming was also the central food-warehouse supplier for the G20 Hangzhou Summit and the official bean-products supplier to the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou. The company was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on January 6, 2021 (stock short name: Zuming Co.; stock code: 003030).

Confronted with the traditional soy-foods sector’s weak technical systems and insufficient innovation, Cai recognized the decisive role of technology in enterprise development and made scientific and technological innovation the core driving force of the company. Through initiatives such as product-quality enhancement and new-product development, Zuming has significantly strengthened its core competitiveness and laid a solid foundation for rapid growth.

Under Cai’s leadership, Zuming secured approval for a provincial-level enterprise technology center and built a professional R&D team, establishing a systematic production and research framework. At the end of 2018, he spearheaded the creation of the industry’s first enterprise-run research institute—the Zuming Bean Products Research Institute—comprising multiple product R&D teams, an equipment-automation task force, and a testing center. Bringing together top experts, the institute leverages cutting-edge technologies to drive industrial upgrading and underpins Zuming’s scaled, professionalized development.

Meanwhile, Zuming has continually increased R&D investment, introduced internationally advanced production equipment, and advanced technological transformation to achieve standardized and intelligent automation. The company now operates multiple domestic first-class automated soy-product lines and a Japanese professional bean-sprout line, placing it at the forefront of the industry in terms of intelligence and standardization.

With strong R&D capabilities and technical accumulation, Zuming has reached high industry standards across product development, environmental standardization, equipment, and software systems. To date, it has developed 100+ new products and obtained 60+ patents, including nearly 20 invention patents, setting an innovation benchmark in this traditional sector. The company has been recognized as a National Food Industry Science-and-Technology Competitiveness Excellence Enterprise; the “Zuming Bean Products” brand has been awarded “Iconic Traditional Chinese Food Product”; and Cai Shuiqi has been honored as a “National Food Industry Sci-Tech Innovation Leading Figure.”

From a small tofu workshop on the banks of the Beitang River to a market-wide presence and a successful public listing, Zuming carries the memories and sentiments of generations while reshaping the industry with its spirit of innovation.

Zuming is also committed to promoting and celebrating soy culture. It has invested in three large, theme-based “Zuming Soy Culture Museums” at its Hangzhou, Anji, and Yangzhou bases. Each museum features an on-site production-tour corridor and indoor exhibition halls. Visitors can learn about traditional soy-food craftsmanship through lifelike wax figures and recreated processing scenes, while observing modern, transparent-factory operations of everyday soy foods through a glass wall.

Notably, Zuming has achieved a modern leap while honoring tradition. Evolving from manual workshops to smart factories, the company has introduced automated production lines and intelligent oversight systems, enabling full-process visibility and traceable, precise control. This reduces the risks associated with manual intervention while boosting both capacity and quality.

To ensure product freshness and safety, Zuming has built a comprehensive cold-chain logistics system. The company operates its own transport fleet, complete with on-site fueling and professional maintenance facilities, achieving end-to-end cold-chain coverage from production and warehousing to distribution and sales. Strict temperature control ensures that every soy product reaches consumers with optimal freshness, taste, and nutritional value.

From a single soybean to a block of tofu, and from tofu to a full-fledged industry, Zuming is redefining the traditional sector through new drivers of productivity. Staying true to the principles of innovation, quality, health, and sustainability, Zuming will continue to deepen its focus on soy foods, explore the soybean’s limitless possibilities, and—through a diverse offering of healthy products—elevate public well-being while fostering the industry’s sustainable development.