The third day of the Lunar New Year is a special day.

In Ding'an, this day isn't for visiting or New Year’s greetings. Instead, the custom for hundreds of years has been for the whole family to spend this day together.

For Wang Xianquan, this day often starts as the first rays of sunshine start to light up the early morning sky.

"Picking the fresh greens from my garden plot, the scents of mud and dew promise extra flavor.” Located in his backyard, Wang Xianquan's vegetable patch is full of a green plant similar to lettuce. He planted it in the fall specifically in preparation for the Spring Festival vegetable wrap. The greens weren’t the only ingredients he prepared in advance.

One of Ding'an County's county-level inheritors of the provincial intangible cultural heritage item "Ding'an Vegetable Wrap Cooking Technique", Wang Xianquan considers vegetable wrap—first and foremost—to be a delicious memory.

"My grandpa made it for my Dad. My Dad made it for me. Now I cook it for my son. When I was a child, the third day of the Lunar New Year was spent anxiously waiting by the stove because the smell was so amazing, one couldn’t help but start drolling. ”

Over the past several decades, all of the children that joined him encircling the stove have grown up to have children and grandchildren of their own. At the same time, Wang Xianquan gradually became a master at making vegetable wrap to the point that teaching it to the younger generations has become his responsibility.

The freshly picked lettuce is a very pleasing green color that easily "brightens up" the whole family's day. As the living room gradually becomes more lively, everyone pitches in to help preparing ingredients for the vegetable wrap.

"In the past, we made vegetable wrap using whatever ingredients were available. We fried anything together with the rice. Now that living conditions are better, the ingredients are becoming more and more sophisticated.” Wang Xianquan counted the ingredients in front of him: pork, sausage, dried shrimp, dried squid, chicken hearts and gizzards, green beans, leeks, buckwheat, garlic sprouts, celery... there were more than 10 kinds in total. “Conditions permitting, there should be more than 20 ingredients with cooks adding whatever they like.” There is no orthodox requirement. The ingredients of Ding'an vegetable wrap depend more on what the people who are going to eat them like to eat. Making them is very casual and free. However, the level of detail must never be sloppy. All ingredients should be uniformly diced into small pieces. Getting this right takes quite some effort. It usually takes a whole day to do. However, it is a whole day spent with the whole family.

In practically a blink of the eye, the clock has turned round to 4:00 pm and it's time to stir-fry the rice. Seasons come and seasons go and the family’s children are just like Wang Xianquan was in his childhood, sitting anxiously around the stove waiting for permission to eat the finished product that is sending such tantalizing aromas up into the air.

"Let's get started!" Cooking on a traditional hob with firewood, the stove is burning brightly, and Wang Xianquan begins his first movements just like a maestro conducting a symphony. Stir-fry the pork belly first, each of the other ingredients is put into the pot in order. Meat first, then vegetables. Finally, the rice. The crackling sound of firewood, the sizzling sound of oil, and the clanging sound of spoons and pots accompany the maestro’s movements. Soon, the tempting fragrance fills the house and the children begin to clamor for joy.

The fried rice is removed from the wok and the already washed leaves from this morning’s harvest are ready. Even the matching assorted sauces, shrimp paste, and garlic are already prepared. However, the essence of vegetable wrap is the creation of a wrapped package.

Wash your hands. Open your hands. Spread four or five leaves across your palm. Remember to dip them in the sauce first. Next, put a spoonful of the fried vegetables and rice into the leaves. Holding the leaves in both hands, pull them inward like "gathering flower buds." The finished product is like a dumpling with vegetable skin. Is it really so hard?

"That’s not good." Wang Xianquan said with a smile: "You also have to shout the rhymes for New Year’s prosperity as you wrap the vegetables. Then it's right."

That's it. The shape is just a shape. But the meaning of the vegetable wrap, the essence of it is the hopes and wishes for a good year.

These wishes must also be presented in a specific way when eating.

Picking up the vegetable wrap, the hot mix will warm your hands and turn them a little red. This red color indicates "a prosperous new year.” Also, when eating, the grease which dribbles out from between your fingers and tries to flow down your arms must not be wiped away as it is a symbol of having “more than you need”.

The idea of having expectations and yearnings for a better life is consistent among all people from all time periods. Perhaps this is why Ding'an vegetable wrap has been passed down to this day and continues to remain popular.

"As long as you have the feeling in your heart, you can make a delicious vegetable wrap”. said Mr. Wang. Even without its profound cultural connotations, this delicacy has nourished the ancient city of Ding'an for hundreds of years. It also reflects the hard-working and optimistic spirit of the people of Ding'an. Therefore, passing down the art of Ding’an vegetable wrap is not just about passing on the flavors or craftsmanship. It's also about passing on a spirit which is unique to Ding'an.