Veteran dimsum stores in Shanghai have enriched flavors Qingtuan, or green glutinous rice ball which is a traditional delicacy for the Qingming Festival, and the new products have sold well during the holiday.

The Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday for people to pay tribute to the deceased, worship ancestors, and embrace nature, fell on Thursday this year. And a folk custom especially in southern areas of the country features the making and eating of Qingtuan.
Early in the morning on Wednesday, a long queue formed outside a renowned dimsum shop selling Qingtuan on Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Among the people in the line were both local residents and tourists who had specifically come for the delicacy.
"On every Qingming Festival, we in Shanghai would eat Qingtuan, which is usually stuffed with red bean paste fillings," said a Shanghai local surnamed Wan.
"This is the season for Qingtuan. I think the rice balls here are rather unique, so I bought some of each flavor," said a tourist surnamed Zhou.
Aside from traditional flavors of red bean paste and egg yolk with dried meat floss, some stores also turned out new varieties such as Zimao (steamed glutinous rice plus long-grained non-glutinous rice ) Qingtuan wrapped in a layer of glutinous rice, and some low-sugar versions, which have been well-received by consumers.
"I believe that it is vital for those veteran stores to weed through the old to bring forth the new and get rejuvenated. The Spring Sanxian (three fresh ingredients) Qingtuan is a new product, while the Zimao Qingtuan is also delicious, featuring a salty filling and sweet wrapping," said a local surnamed Yi.