How Super Wen Heyou became a landmark

If you wonder what the most popular landmark in Guangzhou is nowadays, the first place that comes to mind to many people is Super Wen Heyou. This restaurant has drawn much attention because of the authentic nostalgic atmosphere and food. Often, it’s even described as the ‘Disneyland’ of food. A must visit for everyone; tourists and locals.

Even on the opening day of the restaurant in July 2020, the place was packed, and people were even waiting in line for the experience. This craze hasn’t died down since, and made Super Wen Heyou a new landmark. Wen Heyou brings back retro in an authentic way. A difficult but succeeded task, and exactly the reason why the restaurant became so popular.

Prior to the opening in Guangzhou the restaurant had opened a venue in Changsha, already had numerous of snack bars, and introduced a catering business. So, the name was already famous. To create an even bigger chance for the restaurant to be thriving in Guangzhou, the local culture of the city was studied considered and implemented within the concept. Another aspect that made the restaurant stand out is the fact that it’s situated next to lots of luxury stores, and Wen Heyou offers their nostalgic experience for a reasonable price.

A feeling of nostalgia

When arriving to the restaurant the first thing you’ll find is a stand at the door selling Wuyang ice cream, a well-known local brand of ice cream founded in the 1950s in Guangzhou which carries the childhood memories of many Cantonese’s. When walking further into the building you’ll find shops selling all kinds of food including barbecue, Guangdong desserts, essence of beef offal, and other local cuisines that are well-known and whose names are familiar to the local people in Guangzhou.

While the food will make Chinese people nostalgic, the building itself does as well. Surrounded by modern skyscrapers, the restaurant is ‘just’ a three-story building. When inside you’ll step into China of the 80’s because of the mottled walls, scattered graffiti, old concrete walls, neon lights, telephone booths, billboards in all shapes and sizes, old slogans in traditional Chinese, and a white simplified character of “Guangzhou” hung on the wall. And these are just some of the aspects that makes the place special.

While most Cantonese visit the place because they want to experience the past, all the unique aspects also make it a perfect spot for tourists to relax, experience the ‘old China’ and of course take photos.