Economic Observer reporter Wang Yajie

In my mind, a roujiamo made me think of packing, but the boss was not willing to do this business.

His reason is simple: "If the cake is left for too long and covered, it won't taste good anymore

The freshly baked cake does have some things that people cannot bear to part with. Golden patches are baked on the surface, and when broken open, the outer shell is thin and crispy, while the soft layers remain inside. The meat was stuffed to the brim, mixed with green peppers and chopped green leaves, almost opening the mouth of the cake. First comes the aroma of noodles, followed by the aroma of meat.

The picture shows the local Shaobing (Baked cake in griddle) baked after being baked. Reported by Wang Yajie from the Economic Observer.

The process of making cakes is right in front of us. There is a long dough on the stainless steel cutting board, with pre divided small noodle paste next to it. The cake is first baked on a flat stove, with one side still white and the other side already colored. After roasting, grill and finally move onto a metal mesh. The long wooden clip picked up one, and the next one is still waiting.

First roasting and then baking, an additional process and a layer of texture. Put it in a bag and take it away, the heat will return, and the difference that the boss insists on may disappear.

The local sheep offal soup is also a specialty, not fishy or gamey, with scallions floating in the milky white soup, the folds of the lamb belly clearly visible, and sliced and strip-shaped sheep offal spread out to the fullest.

The picture shows the local specialty lamb offal soup. Reported by Wang Yajie from the Economic Observer.

This meal made me remember to carry it. However, Roujiamo is not unique to Huailai, and sheep offal soup is not only made here. The ability to retain people in a place lies in creating a familiar experience that makes people willing to do it again.

One

Huailai is located in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, adjacent to Beijing. For many Beijing tourists, it often appears in the search box for weekend travel, such as hot springs, wineries, and Guanting Reservoir, which are easy destinations to visit.

Being close to Beijing is its convenience, but it can also easily obscure its own story.

This place has been associated with communication for a long time. The Jiming Post Station in Huailai is an important hub connecting Zhangku Avenue and Junduxing Ancient Road. The role of the ancient post station is far more than just providing a place for people to rest, it also undertakes affairs such as document transmission and carriage and horse connections. Around these needs, businesses, tea houses, and horse shops have grown.

In 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu left Beijing and stayed overnight here. For those familiar with history, this is an interlude in a dynastic crisis. For a post city, it also indicates the weight of geographical location. No matter how the temple changes, people on the road always have to pass by, eat, stay, and change horses.

Today, tourists come to Huailai no longer because they have to stop on the post road. The more convenient the transportation, the easier it is to come and go, and the place needs to provide new reasons for staying.

But the current boss clearly has no intention of discussing these. He repeatedly reminded me not to daydream and to eat the cake while it was delicious.

Two

Huailai has a history that is not so easily visible from the streets.

This small county town has participated in downstream flood control and water resource security by relocating homes and changing land use.

The reservoir also experienced pollution and treatment later on. In 2007, Guanting Reservoir was restored as a backup water source for Beijing. Afterwards, wetland restoration, returning farmland to wetlands and other projects continued to advance, and today's tourist space has gradually formed through a long process of environmental governance.

Knowing these things, looking at the mountains and waters in my arms, it's difficult to just treat them as a landscape photo.

Driving past Huailai, the mountains in front of me unfolded layer by layer, with green near and gradually turning blue in the distance. Some fields along the roadside stretch straight into the distance, with crops not yet high and clear textures exposed on the land. They, along with the hot soup on the table and the dough on the stove, formed the most concrete memories of this trip.

Mountains and waters were first the living conditions for locals, and then became the scenery for outsiders to rest. Managing such a place as a destination also means finding a place for new needs in the existing life.

The grape industry is one of the easier paths to see clearly.

Huailai has a long history of grape cultivation, and varieties such as longan and white milk are already well-known to people. Sunshine, temperature difference, and precipitation conditions not only affect the taste of fresh grapes, but also shape the style of wine. This is also one of the important birthplaces of China's modern wine industry.

Tourists come to the production area to learn about brewing, wine tasting, and accommodation, and their expenses are no longer limited to purchasing one product. The characteristics accumulated from agriculture and processing are beginning to support new services.

Three

If one only focuses on hot soup, fields, and ancient post stations, Huailai will appear too quiet.

This county has another kind of busyness that is not easily noticed by tourists.

According to information released by the local government, in 2026, Huailai's digital economy is being listed as a key industry for local development along with grapes, cultural tourism, and health care. Some data center waste heat recovery technologies have been used for heating in a local school and residential area.

The calculations in the computer room ultimately turned into the heat that residents can feel in winter.

The ancient post station used to serve the exchange of documents and personnel, while today's data centers handle another type of information flow. Both indicate the location of Huailai, which has been involved in the development process of big cities for many years, but its functions are constantly changing.

For county-level tourism, this is equally important.

A place cannot rely solely on foreign visitors during holidays to make a living, but also needs stable industries, employment, and local consumption.

After leaving my arms, I still occasionally recall the pancake that was baked first and then baked, as well as the reluctant attitude of the boss.

Next time I want to eat, it seems I still have to come.

The picture shows local roujiamo. Reported by Wang Yajie from the Economic Observer.

(Author Wang Yajie)