Chongqing —At noon on Jan. 16, with light fog still lingering over Erfo Village in Laotan Town, a group of visitors from Taiwan gathered around long wooden tables, drawn by the aroma rising from a large pot of soup.

The dish was pao zhu tang, a traditional rural pork soup prepared ahead of the Chinese New Year in parts of Chongqing. It is a staple of festive family meals, symbolizing the close of the old year and the welcome of the new.

Taiwan-based content creator Yang Jingru documented the experience. “This is the traditional Hechuan pao zhu tang that has recently become very popular,” Yang said in her video. “Today, more than ten of us from Taiwan are here to experience the most authentic Chongqing New Year atmosphere.”

That day, more than a dozen visitors from Taiwan arrived together to take part in the local custom known as “eating pao zhu soup.” The gathering was organized through social media and brought together students, young professionals, and workers from the food industry.

Taiwan visitors enjoy the traditional pao zhu tang, soaking up the festive New Year flavor in Hechuan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Qi Lansen)

On Jan. 14, Yang Jingru posted an open invitation online: “Friends from Taiwan, let’s go to Hechuan to eat pao zhu soup this Friday. Sign up in the comments—see you there.”

Within hours, the post drew responses from Taiwan visitors eager to join, as well as from local residents who welcomed the group and invited them into their homes. One of the first to sign up was Xu Yunshao, 22, who describes herself as a “food lover.”

“In Taiwan, my grandfather always makes a pot of soup during the New Year and calls it the taste of reunion,” Xu said. “I wanted to see what Chongqing’s version of that reunion flavor is like.”

Within a day, the pao zhu soup group had formed. It included people working in the catering industry, eager to compare culinary traditions, as well as young students drawn by curiosity.

What is pao zhu tang?

In rural areas of Chongqing, pao zhu tang—literally “freshly shaved pork soup”—is traditionally prepared ahead of the Spring Festival. Thin slices of fresh pork, liver, and other offal are quickly cooked in broth, often with radish and light seasoning.

“In Taiwan, we also have a custom of sharing pork after rituals,” Yang said. “But Hechuan’s pao zhu feels more vivid—like joy being prepared slice by slice.”

Yang said she initially worried the food might not suit her taste, or that she might feel uneasy in an unfamiliar setting. Those concerns, she added, quickly disappeared after she arrived.

Freshly fried pork, specially prepared for visitors from Taiwan. Photo by Qi Lansen.

By the stove, Tang Dehong, secretary of the General Party Branch of Erfo Village, prepared the soup. "Pork liver should be sliced thin, pork tripe needs to simmer slowly, and we use local radishes because they absorb the broth best," Tang said. She ladled the soup into blue-and-white bowls as steam rose. Several visitors recorded the scene on their phones. Before the meal, Yang plated stir-fried pork liver and kidney and added chopped scallions. "It adds color and fragrance," she said.

Visitors from Taiwan learn to prepare the traditional pao zhu tang in Erfo Village, Hechuan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Qi Lansen)

By midday, the tables were filled with twice-cooked pork, steamed pork with rice flour, stir-fried pork liver and the central bowl of pao zhu soup. "Come closer and make yourselves at home," Tang said in the local Chongqing dialect. Zhuang Chengxun, who works in the food industry in Taiwan, said the flavor reminded him of home. "The texture is very special. It reminds me of something my mother used to cook," he said. Xu scooped a bowl of radish soup and took a sip. "There is always a radish soup on our New Year’s Eve table," she said. "This makes it feel like the New Year has come early."

Someone raised a glass and called out, "Cheers." The group clinked glasses filled with patchouli tea and continued talking.

 Taiwan influencer Yang Jingru serves dishes for everyone in Hechuan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Qi Lansen)

On the return trip, Yang reviewed photos and videos."I haven't decided on the title yet, but the keyword will be 'reunion,'" she said. "I want people in Taiwan to see a real and warm side of the mainland."

Some discussed their favorite dishes. Others suggested returning next year.

They came from Taiwan, but in a small village in Chongqing, one pot of pao zhu soup helped them find common ground.

As Chen Bodong said, "When we sit together and share the same pot of soup, we are already family."