When the gentle sounds of Suzhou Pingtan, a traditional Chinese storytelling art form, echoed through London’s Chinatown, passersby stopped in their tracks to listen. Accompanied by this auditory feast of a national-level intangible cultural heritage, Songhelou, a time-honored Chinese brand with a 268-year history, officially launched its first overseas flagship store on 3rd April, in the heart of London's Chinatown, a key commercial district.

Attendees at the grand opening included The Rt Hon. the Lord Udny-Lister, former Downing Street Chief of Staff; Andrew Seaton, Vice President of the China-Britain Business Council; Chu Ting Tang OBE, Chairman of the London Chinatown Chinese Association; Sir Charles Bowman, Chairman of PwC UK China Business Group; Jack Perry, Chairman of the 48 Group; Cathy Franklin, Head of the Investment Directorate for China at the UK Department for Business and Trade; Qian Shunjiang, Rotating President of Yuyuan Inc. and Chairman of Yuyuan Foods & Dining Group; Pan Peiquan, Chairman of Songhelou; Elvis Liu, Fosun UK CEO; Jo Zhou, Songhelou UK Partner, among others. They attended the opening ceremony and expressed their anticipation for the international journey of this historic Chinese brand.

CBBC was delighted to attend the opening ceremony of this iconic restaurant as well as support a subsidiary of CBBC member Fosun International.