Zhongnanhai (cigarette)

Zhongnanhai

An old Chinese pack of Zhongnanhai cigarettes, with a Chinese text warning at the bottom of the pack.
Product type Cigarette
Produced by Bejing Tobacco Corporation
Country People's Republic of China

Zhongnanhai (Chinese: 中南海; pinyin: Zhōngnánhǎi) is a brand of cigarettes in China; It is highly popular and holds a large market share in Beijing.[1][2] It is also popular in Japanese market as well, for its light flavor.[3]

The name Zhongnanhai is also that of a central government complex in Beijing. Zhongnanhai cigarettes are generally produced in seven varieties: 1 mg, Menthol 1 mg, 3 mg, 5 mg, 8 mg, "Special" 8 mg, and 10 mg, referring to tar content. The official website refers to other varieties such as "12 mg" and "Red", which, however, are reported not to be widely available on the Chinese market. The pack text states that the cigarettes are made with "a choice blend of the world's finest tobaccos and herb".

Zhongnanhai cigarettes used to be specially made cigarettes for Chairman Mao Zedong in late 1960s.[4] Zhongnanhai was originally produced by Beijing Tobacco Corporation in an effort to develop a headlining product that was both commercially and socially successful. However Zhongnanhai cigarettes found in little commercial success as they often found themselves struggling to compete with the wide array of cigarettes already available on the domestic market. Subsequently in an effort to salvage the China Tobacco mainstay, it was subject to a major product innovation scheme by Beijing tobacco corporation between the late 90s and early 2000s. The reason for such product innovation was highly correlated to Mao Zedong's death as with the passing away of the Chairman in the late 70s, sales too began to fall.[5] Thus with a decline of such a prestigious brand that was inherently connected with central headquarters for the Communist Party of China, Beijing Tobacco's general manager at the time, Mr.Gu undertook the revolutionary project resulting in a household name that has sat among the best selling cigarettes in China ever since.[6][7] The Chinese indie-rock band Carsick Cars dedicated a song called "Zhong nan hai" to the cigarette brand.

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ https://books.google.com.au/books?id=6KA3AQAAIAAJ&q=%E9%A1%BE%E9%98%BF%E6%9C%9D&dq=%E9%A1%BE%E9%98%BF%E6%9C%9D&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwioktKhpf3TAhWIyrwKHW5gA2UQ6AEIOjAE
  6. ↑ https://books.google.com.au/books?id=LLdFAAAAMAAJ&q=%E9%A1%BE%E9%98%BF%E6%9C%9D&dq=%E9%A1%BE%E9%98%BF%E6%9C%9D&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwioktKhpf3TAhWIyrwKHW5gA2UQ6AEILjAC
  7. ↑ https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Es0PAQAAMAAJ&q=%E9%A1%BE%E9%98%BF%E6%9C%9D&dq=%E9%A1%BE%E9%98%BF%E6%9C%9D&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwioktKhpf3TAhWIyrwKHW5gA2UQ6AEIQTAF
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