Pastry chefs make seaweed cakes in the pastry shop on Ziyang Ancient Street. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Defying conventional notions that entrepreneurship is the domain of the young, a cohort of individuals from Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, born in the 1970s, is challenging stereotypes head-on. With the oldest member being 83 years old, they are unequivocally proving that age poses no barrier to the pursuit of one's dreams.

Leading the charge is Chen Xueyun, who returned to Linhai, a county-level city in Taizhou, last May, driven by a unique vision for his future, after spending many years working away from his hometown.

Teaming up with four veteran pastry chefs from the original State-owned Linhai Food Factory, they embarked on a journey to open a seaweed cake shop on Ziyang Ancient Street. However, they were initially beset with challenges, as the shop's remote location resulted in minimal foot traffic and few sales.

"The rent on the main street is too high, so we can only hide in the alleys," remarked Chen.

Despite the initial setbacks, the team's decades of experience and authentic craftsmanship eventually caught the attention of Daoyueshe, a food influencer with over 8 million fans on video-sharing platform Bilibili, in September 2023.

After trying the shop's freshly baked seaweed cakes at the shop, the influencer posted a video, prompting a surge of support from fans eager to taste the traditional craft. The shop quickly gained over 1,700 new fans on WeChat, and online orders began pouring in, while numerous fans made the journey to visit the shop in person.

With its newfound popularity, the shop expanded its offerings from two types of seaweed cakes and red bean cakes to over 30 different pastries. Despite the increased workload, the elderly pastry chefs found joy in their renewed purpose, continuing to create diverse pastries with undiminished enthusiasm.

"We will continue to work hard, creating more diverse pastries to retain our fans and allow more people to taste the authentic flavor of Linhai," expressed Chen.

Jin Meijing, one of the pastry chefs at the shop, stated, "My love for seaweed cakes is like that for my own children; I want to continue passing on this old craft.”

To keep up with the evolving trends, the shop's entrance is plastered with charming banners and billboards, creating a popular photo spot. Chen's vision is to blend traditional craftsmanship with creativity, making the pastry shop a beloved destination for a new generation of patrons.

One of the banners at the shop's entrance reads, "I am eager to see you here."

Freshly baked seaweed cakes in the pastry shop. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]