Chao News client reporter Sun Lan trainee reporter Ni Bin.
Zong Qinghou didn't leave, he just walked out of time.
No. 160 Qingtai Street, Hangzhou, this simple building and courtyard, where Zong Qinghou worked for more than 37 years, has now become the embodiment of the spirit of Zhejiang businessmen.
At noon on February 26, the crowd of people at the old headquarters of Wahaha, No. 160 Qingtai Street, Hangzhou, to pay tribute to Zong Qinghou continued.
The sky was overcast, and the building was speechless. Outside the locked iron gate, flowers, Wahaha drinks almost overflowed the street.
The old headquarters of Wahaha, No. 160 Qingtai Street, Hangzhou, this six-story gray building and a small courtyard surrounded by white walls, is the old address of Wahaha since the school-run factory in 1987, and the Wahaha headquarters has been relocated to the new building in Xiaoshan at the end of 2023, but people still continue to come here to pay respects.
This simple building and courtyard, where Zong Qinghou worked for more than 37 years, has now become the embodiment of the spirit of Zhejiang businessmen. "A grandfather passed away, and he was an amazing person".
Since the news of Zong Qinghou's death came out at noon on the 25th, people have continued to go to the old headquarters of Wahaha to mourn, from daytime, to late night, and then to dawn. There are more and more bouquets, more and more people are gathering, and the traffic police and fire are waiting.
The first bouquet of flowers appeared at 1:30 p.m. on the 25th, presented by Zhang Wenbin, a former employee of Wahaha's marketing department. The reporter saw that he solemnly leaned the bouquet against the iron door and bowed deeply three times. His first job after graduating from university in 2005 was in Wahaha, where he worked for five years, and was deeply influenced by Mr. Zong, and he was extremely grateful in his heart.
In Zhang Wenbin's mobile phone, the WeChat group of former Wahaha employees has reached 500 people, and since the news of Zong Qinghou's illness and hospitalization on the 21st came out, the former employees have prayed in the group for Mr. Zong's early recovery, and the message of blessing cannot be turned over more than ten screens.
On the night of the 25th, a couple came with a boy wearing a red scarf, which was the spring school day of Hangzhou Primary School. The parents told the boy: "A grandfather has passed away, and he is an amazing person. On the way here, the boy listened to his parents tell the story of Zong Qinghou and watched Wahaha's classic advertisement. At the scene, the boy was thoughtful and solemnly presented a large bottle of AD calcium milk.
The boy's mother told reporters: "We post-80s and post-90s generations have all drunk Wahaha products, and today we heard the news of Zong Qinghou's death, and I specially brought our children to commemorate it." Zong Qinghou represents a spirit of the times, when the market was prosperous but resources were scarce, and there were not many doers who could seize opportunities, persevere, and innovate. ”
One woman's mother was a former employee of a Hangzhou canned food factory. The state-owned factory, which originally lost more than 40 million yuan, turned losses into profits after being merged by Wahaha in 1991, and in the second year, Wahaha's sales revenue reached 400 million yuan and profits of more than 70 million yuan, and the treatment of old employees was greatly improved. Now that her mother is too old to go out, she comes to mourn on behalf of her mother.
A young man took a subway ride of dozens of minutes from Qiantang District, Hangzhou, and offered a row of AD calcium milk, with tears in his eyes. He said that when he was a child, he often drank Wahaha products, "When I was a child, I was sick and had the happiness of AD calcium milk, and if I did well in the school exam, I was rewarded with AD calcium milk, and when I was hungry on the train, I had eight-treasure porridge to satisfy my hunger." ”
A mourner in his 60s said: "He (Zong Qinghou) did not leave, but walked out of time, he will always live in our memory, and also live in the company Wahaha, as long as the company is alive, he will also live." ”
A flower shop owner hundreds of meters away from here, many people in other places searched for his flower shop on the Internet, placed orders and entrusted him to deliver flowers, and he has delivered more than ten times in just a few hours. The bouquet card shows that the flower givers are from Shihezi in Xinjiang, Leshan in Sichuan, Guangdong, Shanghai and ......
There were many people who spontaneously came to mourn, and the on-site traffic police commanded the visiting vehicles to park in an orderly manner.
More people are out of town, so please run errands and delivery people to deliver flowers, boxes of AD calcium milk and purified water. There are constantly takeaway brothers arriving on electric vehicles, checking the delivery address, and bowing deeply after completing the order.
The story of his life is told
In front of the old headquarters, the story of Zong Qinghou was sung in people's mouths.
At nearly ten o'clock on the night of the 25th, Ms. Li (pseudonym) came with her children to express her gratitude. Her first job after graduating from university was at Wahaha, where she worked for four years, "These four years have benefited more than studying for graduate school in a well-known university." ”
Ms. Li said that Zong Qinghou attaches great importance to college students, and it is a major event for college students to join the company every year. When she came to Wahaha, she lived in a dormitory, just like a continuation of university life. After joining the company, they will go through a one-year training period in Wahaha, first in the human resources department, then in the workshop rotation, and finally back to the target department, so that college students can quickly understand the entire group, give them the opportunity to take charge of themselves, and give college students who have no experience and no background enough room for growth.
Ms. Li later left Wahaha due to physical reasons, and encountered great difficulties in the process, "Mr. Zong's unremitting spirit of self-improvement supported me through the most difficult moments. ”
A Mr. Shen at the scene was both a neighbor and a peer with Zong Qinghou. He has lived in Changqingli community across the wall from Wahaha's old headquarters building since 1996, and before retiring three years ago, he worked for an international beverage giant in Hangzhou for 25 years, witnessing Wahaha's transformation from a humble name to a major Chinese beverage brand.
Mr. Shen said that in the early days, Wahaha was still a small company, until the merger of Hangzhou Canned Food Factory in 1991, which caused peers to look sideways, "Yo, small fish eat big fish!" "In the industry, international giants have launched many marketing strategies for Wahaha, but they still can't stop its rapid development.
Zong Qinghou is eclectic to talents and gives them reuse. Around 1997, Mr. Shen had a college student colleague who was a power engineer, and although he did not graduate from a prestigious university, he was conscientious and responsible, and had a good reputation. Wahaha hired the engineer, and soon became a manager and company executive, and also divided a house of more than 180 square meters. This colleague's treatment was very well-known in the industry, Wahaha was still a small company without a reputation at that time, but it dared to offer attractive salaries to talents, giving them a platform and space.
Zong Qinghou is very angry about investing in advanced equipment. Mr. Shen said that there is a legend in the industry that Zong Qinghou imported beverage bottle production equipment blow molding machines, imported equipment from Italy in batches, and the Italian airport specially laid out the red carpet for him.
The investment in talent and advanced equipment is very atmospheric, but the management cost is very tight. Mr. Shen said that Zong Qinghou's "financial reimbursement of a pen" is very famous, and for a while, it was rumored in the industry that Wahaha's expenses of more than 50 yuan needed to be approved by Zong Qinghou himself.
The flowers will be arranged and transferred to the memorial service venue
In the "sea of flowers" in front of the building, on the cards, people wrote their feelings for Zong Qinghou
Grandpa Wahaha, thank you for your companionship since childhood. May you rest in peace and have a good journey! ”
I would be an entrepreneur like you. Even if not, we will give back to society in our own way. ”
Dear Zong: Thank you for your support to my work, and always remember you! ”
A noble man, a pure man, a moral man, a man detached from low tastes, a man who is beneficial to the people. ”
Thirty years of entrepreneurship, business models take the lead in the tide, and the pioneers of the times think of the source. I have drunk Wahaha, remember Wahaha, and thank Mr. Zong. ”
Flowers in front of the building, various Wahaha drinks, and elegiac couplets almost overflowed the street, and people noticed that in order not to affect the traffic, people's minds were sorted out and transferred by special personnel.
Wahaha Group expressed its gratitude to the citizens and friends for the commemoration of sending flowers and couplets, and has sorted out and transported this heart from all walks of life to Wahaha Xiasha Base overnight. Now, these bouquets and couplets have been solemnly arranged at the upcoming memorial ceremony for Mr. Zong Qinghou, accompanying him through the last journey of his life.
*Please indicate the source".