Qian Siyu is perhaps the most unique "second-generation entrepreneur" in Tongxiang, Jiaxing. The hands that once cleaned Sanxingdui bronze artifacts now roast chrysanthemums and brew tea. The eyes that once appraised artifacts from the "Nanhai No.1" shipwreck can effortlessly craft the "most beautiful seller displays," promoting Tongxiang flower teas globally. Transitioning from a cultural relic conservator to the operator of an online store with tens of millions in annual sales, this "second-gen" entrepreneur from Tongxiang has masterfully crossed industries, bringing local flower teas to an international audience.

A Chrysanthemum's Fantastic Journey Inside the Tongxiang Haitai Chrysanthemum Industry Co., Ltd., located on Wutong Street, display shelves are lined with various "flowers": plump, golden Tongxiang胎菊 (bud chrysanthemums), fragrant jasmine tea, and various flower-based products with medicinal and edible properties. Sourced from Tongxiang and other regions across China, these high-quality botanical ingredients are processed by Haitai Chrysanthemum. Some become the osmanthus flowers featured by influencer Li Ziqi or the Tongxiang胎菊热销 (hot-selling bud chrysanthemums) during东方甄选 (Dongfang Zhenxuan)'s Zhejiang专场专场 (special livestream). Another portion is shipped overseas via Alibaba's international站 (International站) platform, finding their way into the cups of consumers in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. "Chamomile is very popular with欧美 (European and American) consumers. It has a mild taste and calming effects, fitting the current health trend. And those mixed fruit slices—there are many bestsellers on Amazon, and the suppliers likely source from us," explains Qian Siyu, the "young successor" of Haitai Chrysanthemum. This young woman is the "principal operator" behind the company's online business. Under her management, Haitai Chrysanthemum's e-commerce operations have grown into a top brand on major platforms, achieving annual sales exceeding ten million yuan, with products reaching both domestic and international markets. A small flower has completed a fantastic journey from the fields of Tongxiang to tables around the world.

From Conservator to E-commerce Operator "I studied fine arts from a young age, majored in art history in university with a focus on cultural relic conservation, and during my senior-year internship, I participated in restoration work for the Sanxingdui site and the 'Nanhai No.1' shipwreck," Qian recalls of her student days. She never imagined she would enter business. In reality, her entrepreneurial talent showed early. As a child, she would accompany her parents to Guangdong, helping run their retail outlet. When customers came to pick up goods, the "little shopkeeper" would assist with sorting inventory, checking orders, and packing. During school breaks, she would return to the factory to help, packaging finished products in the sweltering workshop. In 2012, following the trend, Haitai Chrysanthemum opened two online stores, with the framework for the stores being set up by the then high-school student Qian Siyu. In 2016, she formally took over the company's e-commerce business. At the time, managing the online stores consumed significant manpower and effort with little return. The Tmall store closed at a loss, and daily sales on the Alibaba store were only a few thousand yuan—paltry compared to offline orders often worth hundreds of thousands, making the venture seem unworthy of the effort yet too valuable to abandon. With her background in fine arts, Qian quickly identified the problem. Online flower tea products were highly homogeneous at the time; "seller displays" were just quick手机 snaps (mobile phone photos), and product detail pages were rudimentary. Online, images and design directly shape a customer's first impression of product quality. She decided to break through from this point. She took matters into her own hands, purchasing a单反相机 (DSLR camera), flash, and background cloths, setting up a simple photography studio in the office. Sometimes, to capture the true color of a flower, she would experiment repeatedly with different背景布 (backgrounds) and lighting angles. Soon, Haitai Chrysanthemum stood out among its peers. Today, this product presentation template remains a model for similar online stores, emulated by many competitors. Simultaneously, the Alibaba platform launched a "Partner Plan," selecting a group of promising, high-quality merchants to grow together. Qian Siyu敏锐地抓住了 (keenly seized) this合作机会 (collaboration opportunity). The effect was immediate. In the first month, sales突破 (exceeded) 500,000 yuan; the second month, 1 million; the third month, 2 million! "In just half a year, the online business reached parity with the offline side," Qian回忆 (recalls).

Riding the Wave Overseas: Eastern Flower Tea Fragrance Drifts Across the World After domestic e-commerce flourished, Qian Siyu turned her gaze to overseas markets. In 2017, Haitai Chrysanthemum officially entered Alibaba's International站 (International站). Initially, she thought overseas markets would also be interested in the chrysanthemum tea Haitai primarily offered. However, backend data告诉她 (told her) that products like chamomile, rose tea, and various mixed fruit teas were more popular. This made her realize the need to shift from a "factory mindset" to a "market mindset" and "traffic mindset"—the online store should primarily promote what customers need. She personally engaged, communicating with overseas clients to understand their needs, continuously adjusting the online store's operational strategy, thereby opening up international channels. Today's Haitai Chrysanthemum is no longer just a processing factory with a单一 (single) chrysanthemum product. It has evolved into a modern food enterprise encompassing various wellness teas,药食同源 (medicinal and edible) products, integrating R&D, production, and sales. From cultural relic conservator to operator of a multi-million-yuan online store, the aesthetic sensibility fostered by her fine arts background became her sharpest weapon in the business world. Qian Siyu's journey proves that nothing one learns is ever wasted.