Restaurant owner finds his passion in lamian

In the bustling streets of Wuhan, Hubei province, a lamian, or hand-pulled noodle, shop has become a culinary sanctuary where customers flock to experience its unique flavors, thanks to Han Sulayman's dedication to spreading the lamian culture of his hometown.

The 28-year-old, a member of the Salar ethnic group from Hualong Hui autonomous county in Haidong, Qinghai province, is the owner of the shop and has been working in the lamian industry since he was 18.

In 2008, Han's father scraped together 5,000 yuan ($690) to bring him to Wuhan to join one of his distant relatives' lamian shops. Faced with an unfamiliar environment, he did not fear but viewed this challenge as an opportunity for growth.

At the age of 18, he began learning the art of hand-pulled noodles from his father. Starting from observing and imitating, to practicing hands-on and continuously exploring, he gradually developed his own unique noodle-making skills after many years of learning and practice.

In April 2015, Han established his catering company and founded his own lamian brand. He firmly believes that branding in the catering industry was the future trend for lamian, but he was still unsure of the direction to take.

Starting from 2016, he participated in several study trips organized by the local government, allowing him to visit different universities where he listened to lectures on business management. He also visited well-known catering brands to gain practical experience.

Based on personalized customer demands, Han expanded the variety of fixed dishes in his restaurant. Seeing that young people loved taking photos and sharing them on social media, he replaced the restaurant's tableware with exquisite blue porcelain bowls engraved with the logo of his brand. The store's decoration was also upgraded to reflect the cultural charm of Qinghai.

He adjusted the recipes and updated the flavors according to the preferences of local residents in Wuhan, using a lighter and less pungent broth and adding mild chili peppers from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. He also incorporated large, generous portions of beef into the lamian, allowing customers to fully enjoy the delicious beef noodle soup.

Han believes that eating noodles is not just about filling the stomach but also about experiencing a cultural taste. He opened a Qinghai Lamian Cultural Experience Store in Wuhan, where customers can not only eat noodles but also buy specialties from Qinghai province such as dried yak meat and Qinghai yogurt.

These changes made his shop stand out in the Wuhan market and be loved by customers. Starting from 2017, the annual revenue of the noodle restaurant increased from over 200,000 yuan to nearly 600,000 yuan.

So far, he has opened four branch stores in Wuhan and passed on his noodle-making skills to more people. Han Wende is one year younger than Han Sulayman, who was also his playmate. Han Wende once worked as a server at Han Sulayman's restaurant, then became a lamian chef.

In 2017, with the encouragement and financial support from Sulayman, Han started his own business.

Due to Han Sulayman's influence, over 200 fellow villagers from his hometown joined the lamian businesses in Wuhan, opening over 40 new noodle restaurants. He said that each apprentice he trained means a young man stepping out of the mountains.

"The farmland in my hometown is all in the mountains. Every day, we drove cattle carrying farm manure and tools, taking about two hours to reach the farmland," he said, adding that his trip to Wuhan in 2008 marked a new chapter in his life.

"After more than 10 years in Wuhan, I have already considered the city as my second hometown, and my achievements are also thanks to the support of the city," he said.

After the epidemic, Han Sulayman's lamian shops needed funds, and the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Ethnic Affairs quickly coordinated a loan of 200,000 yuan for him, allowing him to operate normally, he said.

In May, Han Sulayman initiated a lamian competition in Wuhan. Participants were required to knead and pull five types of noodles of varying thickness within 20 minutes. This was Han Sulayman's third time organizing the competition.

The 24 participants were divided into three groups and took turns on stage, and judges scored based on aspects such as kneading the dough, noodle making and uniform thickness. Over 280 local lamian shop owners brought their employees to watch the competition live.

In addition to focusing on his own business development, Han Sulayman also actively takes on social responsibilities.

He provides noodles freshly made on site at a community canteen for the elderly in Wuhan for free. He also makes donations every year to support children in Hualong county to study hard and break out of poverty.

Han Sulayman's vision is not limited to Wuhan. He once served as the Halal Food Guarantee Supervisor for the Hangzhou Asian Games, held in Zhejiang province in 2023, providing high-quality Halal food for athletes.

During the Asian Games, he communicated with foreign athletes and asked for their opinions on the food. He also brought his hometown's beef lamian to the Asian Games, receiving unanimous praise from both Chinese and foreign athletes.

Now, Han Sulayman has begun to try to expand Hualong lamian to overseas markets, planning to open chain stores in Malaysia first.

"Making lamian is my original intention and sentiment, which cannot be lost," he said.

He said that he will continue to promote the culture and brand of his hometown products, allowing more people to understand and love Hualong lamian. He believes that in the near future, Hualong lamian will go abroad and become a shining business card for Chinese cuisine worldwide.