Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

During this year's Qingming Festival holidays, some lesser-known spring vegetables began appearing in urban markets, facilitated by advances in cold-chain logistics and preservation technologies. One such example is haicaihua, a plant currently in its peak growing season in Eryuan, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. 

While it was traditionally sold primarily in local markets, it has now expanded to other parts of China, with good sales reported, according to the CCTV News. This development highlights the growing efficiency of China's supply chains and reflects a broader consumer interest in more diverse and seasonal food options.

Several factors have contributed to the growing availability of haicaihua. First, advances in preservation technologies have extended its shelf life from just two days to 15 days. Second, the growth of cold-chain logistics and the wider logistics sector has helped reduce transportation losses from 35 percent to 8 percent. Finally, rising consumer interest in unique, seasonal vegetables has supported the plant's expanded distribution. As Chinese consumers increasingly seek out diverse food options, these developments may signal broader trends in the food industry and changing consumption patterns.

According to the CCTV News, more than 100 varieties of spring vegetables have been available this season, with some lesser-known types gaining attention. The growing consumer interest in spring vegetables reflects a broader trend toward more diverse and locally sourced food options.

This trend can partly be attributed to the development of the logistics infrastructure in China. From drones and multimodal cold-chain logistics to smart ports and cross-border freshness maintenance, emerging smart digital technologies are transforming the sector. 

The innovations are not only reducing costs but also improving efficiency, accelerating transport speeds, and enhancing the preservation of freshness during transit. As a result, the logistics sector is becoming an important enabler of China's evolving market, making it easier to deliver a wider variety of products to consumers across the country.

In 2025, China's cold-chain logistics market continued to grow, with steady progress in infrastructure development. Total demand reached 381.4 million tons, up 4.5 percent year-on-year, while total revenue rose to 556.71 billion yuan ($80.89 billion), marking a 3.84-percent increase year-on-year, according to data from the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, cited by the Economic Daily.

China has established 105 national backbone cold-chain logistics hubs, covering 31 provincial-level regions, according to the Xinhua News Agency. This hub-and-network model is enhancing the system's scale, efficiency, organization, and connectivity, strengthening the value chain of cold-chain products and supporting consumption upgrading in both urban and rural areas.

The micro-level advancements, along with other contributing factors, are accelerating changes within the consumption market. Take haicaihua as an example: during this year's Qingming Festival, enhanced cold-chain logistics enabled this spring vegetable to move seamlessly from local markets to urban dining tables. It highlights how improvements in logistics infrastructure are unlocking new consumption possibilities.

On one hand, new consumption trends are emerging, particularly in areas where demand once did not exist. These developments are giving rise to fresh consumption opportunities and new business models, underscoring a shift in consumer behavior as individuals increasingly seek a broader range of products and experiences, some of which were previously unavailable.

On the other hand, the expansion of cold-chain infrastructure into western regions and lower-tier cities, coupled with technological advancements, is unlocking urban-rural consumption potential. Media reports indicate that, in 2025, China's county-level cold-chain market reached 120 billion yuan in size, up 22 percent year-on-year, driven largely by the expansion of chain restaurants into lower-tier markets and the continued penetration of fresh e-commerce.

This trend is expected to continue evolving during the coming years. As cold-chain infrastructure advances further and consumer preferences continue to shift, the demand for diverse and fresh products is likely to expand, creating new opportunities across a variety of sectors. The developments suggest a broader transformation within China's consumption landscape, increasingly driven by innovations in logistics and a more sophisticated consumer base.

The ongoing evolution of China's consumption market will present greater opportunities for both domestic and international businesses. 

As one of the world's most dynamic and rapidly developing consumer markets, China's growth trajectory and changing consumption patterns offer a wealth of opportunities for companies to engage with emerging segments and explore untapped regions. While the example of haicaihua may be relatively small, it offers valuable insight into the new developments occurring within the country's supply chains and consumer behavior.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn