From a540f5b81af85cdb7c134fe90321db558d703d84 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: CrazyJasonwell Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:56:57 +0800 Subject: [PATCH] vault backup: 2025-10-21 14:56:57 --- .obsidian/plugins/cubox-sync/data.json | 2 +- .obsidian/plugins/rss-reader/data.json | 44 -------------------------- 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 45 deletions(-) diff --git a/.obsidian/plugins/cubox-sync/data.json b/.obsidian/plugins/cubox-sync/data.json index 14f6450f..c4f2790f 100644 --- a/.obsidian/plugins/cubox-sync/data.json +++ b/.obsidian/plugins/cubox-sync/data.json @@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ "contentTemplate": "# {{{title}}}\n\n{{{description}}}\n\n[Read in Cubox]({{{cubox_url}}}) \n[Read Original]({{{url}}}) \n\n---\n\n{{#highlights.length}}\n## Annotations \n\n{{#highlights}}\n> {{{text}}} \n\n{{#note}}\n{{{note}}}\n{{/note}}\n[Link️]({{{cubox_url}}}) \n\n{{/highlights}}\n{{/highlights.length}}\n\n---\n{{{content}}} ", "highlightInContent": true, "dateFormat": "yyyy-MM-dd", - "lastSyncTime": 1761021429688, + "lastSyncTime": 1761025029775, "lastSyncCardId": "7375268849861527905", "lastCardUpdateTime": "2025-10-07T23:58:26.862+0800", "syncing": false diff --git a/.obsidian/plugins/rss-reader/data.json b/.obsidian/plugins/rss-reader/data.json index 869a3166..e5cb9c7e 100644 --- a/.obsidian/plugins/rss-reader/data.json +++ b/.obsidian/plugins/rss-reader/data.json @@ -1216,28 +1216,6 @@ "hash": "cf2d548a2d4d638b43ddeec73942dfa0", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "我做了一个有趣的实验，在二维坐标上画下我的 3000+ 笔记", - "description": "Matrix首页推荐Matrix是少数派的写作社区，我们主张分享真实的产品体验，有实用价值的经验与思考。我们会不定期挑选Matrix最优质的文章，展示来自用户的最真实的体验和观点。文章代表作者个人观点 ...查看全文", - "content": "Matrix首页推荐Matrix是少数派的写作社区，我们主张分享真实的产品体验，有实用价值的经验与思考。我们会不定期挑选Matrix最优质的文章，展示来自用户的最真实的体验和观点。文章代表作者个人观点 ...查看全文", - "category": "", - "link": "https://sspai.com/post/103035", - "creator": "这是嘎嘎", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:03:16 +0800", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "zh", - "folder": "资讯", - "feed": "少数派", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "1c1531863a9a20fdb9bba4b45570e162", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "唐僧的宝贝袈裟几乎没有穿过，为什么还一直带着？", "description": "

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在《西游记》的取经故事里，唐僧有一件极具传奇色彩的宝物，那就是锦襕袈裟。读过原著或看过影视剧的人或许会有疑问，纵观全程，唐僧极少真正穿上这件袈裟，多数时候只是将其妥善收藏，可即便如此，他却始终将其带在身边，从未丢弃，让人疑问：这是为什么呢？


国历君自制唐僧表情包。来源/影视剧《西游记》截图


压箱礼服：袈裟是啥？啥时候才能穿？


按佛教老规矩，袈裟本是印度僧人随身的“三衣”总称，也就是安陀会、郁多罗僧、僧伽梨这三件衣服，各自有不同用途。安陀会是五条布缝的“内衣”，干活、睡觉时穿；郁多罗僧是七条布的“上衣”，日常礼拜、听经时穿；最讲究的是僧伽梨，九条到二十五条布缝的“大衣”，相当于现在的“正装”，只有托钵化缘、见国王或者重大佛事才会穿。玄奘那身锦襕袈裟，就是观世音菩萨说“闲时折叠，遇圣才穿”的僧伽梨，难怪平时舍不得拿出来。


影视作品中玄奘所穿的普通僧衣。来源/纪录片《玄奘之路》


袈裟传到中国后，没有一直保持印度原样，早早就跟着汉地的风俗“入乡随俗”了。先说颜色，印度原版袈裟讲究“坏色”，就是不用青、黄、赤、白、黑这五种“正色”，专门染成浑浊的杂色，比如用树叶、果浆调的木兰色，为的是“毁其形好，僧俗有别”，让僧人断了对服饰的贪念。但到了汉传佛教这里，颜色慢慢有了讲究，现在咱们看到的僧伽梨多是赤色，七条衣、五条衣常用黄色，既保留了“坏色”传统，又符合中国人的审美。


形制上变化更大。印度的袈裟要“绕身三匝”，可中国气候与印度不同，冬天冷不说，传统礼仪也不兴露胳膊露肩。隋唐开始，袈裟的长度就悄悄变短了，不再追求“绕三匝”，更注重象征性。毕竟僧人里面要穿袍服，袈裟更多是披在外面当“法服”，尺寸小一点反而方便。还有袈裟上的“田相”纹路，也是汉地慢慢定型的，五条衣是一长一短拼布，七条衣二长一短，大衣三长一短，像一块块整齐的稻田，所以也叫“福田衣”，寓意僧人能为众生种“善因”，这可是印度早期“缦衣”（没田相的袈裟）没有的讲究。


材质上也跟随物产差异发生变化。佛教刚传入时，中国僧人用麻布做袈裟，到了宋朝，棉花普及后就改成棉布；要是遇到信徒布施丝绸，也会做成更精致的袈裟。不过不管用啥料，“朴素”的原则没丢，早期还有“粪扫衣”的传统，就是捡别人丢弃的破布缝补成衣，提醒僧人安于清贫。


佛陀弟子身穿袈裟。来源/易县三彩罗汉像，大英博物馆藏


因此，“讲究”的袈裟，只有正式场合才会拿出来“亮相”。比如唐代僧人，要是被皇帝召见或参加大型法会，肯定要穿最正式的僧伽梨；平时在寺里干活、念经，穿七条衣或五条衣就够了。最风光的要数“赐紫袈裟”，唐代官制里，三品以上官员才能穿紫衣服，因此皇帝也会把紫色袈裟赐给高僧。唐诗里说“满朝朱紫贵”，能穿上皇帝赐的紫袈裟，在当时的僧人里堪称“顶流”，既显佛法威严，也透着朝廷对佛教的重视。


玄奘带着锦襕袈裟西天取经，不常穿正是因为它太正式。赶路时风餐露宿，穿朴素僧袍更方便；可一旦遇到国王、高僧，或者到了灵山见佛祖，这件“僧伽梨”就成了必备的礼仪服饰。难怪玄奘再累也会好好带着，毕竟这可不是普通的“行李”，而是他取经路上最庄重的“精神徽章”。


师徒四人取经成功时，唐僧身着“宝贝袈裟”。来源/影视剧《西游记》1986年版


日常穿着：从汉服演变而来的“听衣”


另一个问题来了，既然玄奘不轻易穿锦襕袈裟，那他赶路、念经时裹的素色宽袍是啥？其实这正是唐代僧人最常穿的“听衣”。与袈裟这类“正装”不同，听衣是僧人“随俗改穿”的日常服，照着汉服的样子改，舒服又实用。


纯金单轮十二环锡杖。来源/法门寺博物馆


要聊听衣，得先搞懂它和“制衣”（袈裟）的区别。制衣是佛陀定的“三衣”，是必须遵守的规矩；听衣则是“灵活选项”，只要符合戒律，能顺着当地风俗改。唐代僧人日常穿的基本都是听衣，毕竟袈裟要“遇圣才穿”，平时扫地、念经、化缘，穿听衣才方便。当时的听衣主要有三类：海青、直裰（duō）、偏衫，每一种都带着浓浓的汉服影子，藏着不少贴心设计。


最常见的“海青”简直是汉服的“僧版改良款”，腰宽袖阔，圆领方襟，跟汉代袍服几乎一个模子刻出来的。但它比普通汉服多了不少佛教细节，袖口是缝死的，不像俗家袍子那样敞着，刮风时不灌风，干活时也不会勾到东西；衣领叫“三宝领”，用三层布叠着缝，暗合“佛、法、僧”三宝，既结实耐穿，又有象征意义；衣领前面还绣着五十三道蓝线，叫“善财童子五十三参”，讲的是善财童子拜访五十三位名师求道的故事，既添了佛法味，又让衣领不容易磨破。


海青的适用场景特别广，堪称唐代僧人的万能常服。在寺里日常走动，比如去斋堂吃饭、跟同门聊佛法；或做些轻活，像整理经卷、给佛像擦灰；就算出门化缘，穿件青黑色海青走在路上，既显僧人身份，又不会像穿袈裟那样惹眼。而且穿海青还有规矩，在家居士只能穿青黑色，只有庙里的长老才能穿黄褐色，颜色一看，就能分清身份高低，既守了礼仪，又不张扬。


菱地飞鸟纹绫海青衣。来源/中国丝绸博物馆


再说说“直裰”，这衣服是听衣里的“实用派代表”，是把汉服的“偏衫”和“裙”拼起来改的。最早印度僧人穿“僧祇支”，只盖左肩，露着右肩，可中国不兴露胳膊，北魏时宫人就给僧祇支加了右袖，变成两袖齐全的“偏衫”；后来僧人觉得光穿偏衫没下装不方便，又把偏衫和裙子缝在一起，就成了直裰。它既有上衣的袖子，又有下装的裙身，弯腰干活不卡裆，走路时裙摆也不会绊腿，简直是为日常劳作量身定做的。


直裰在唐代僧人的生活里，出场率比海青还高。在田里种菜、在院里扫地，穿直裰不怕弄脏；去山下挑水、帮村民做点杂活，穿直裰行动利索；就算在禅房里打坐，宽松的直裰也比紧绷的衣服舒服。从龙门石窟的唐代造像能看到，不少弟子像穿的就是直裰，有的是半袖，露出里面偏衫的窄袖；有的是长袖，胳膊上还搭块帔帛，既实用又好看。敦煌莫高窟的壁画里更常见，画中僧人要么穿直裰挑水，要么穿直裰讲经，透着一股烟火气，完全没有穿袈裟时的庄重感。


莫高窟第323窟主室北壁（局部）。来源/“数字敦煌”资源库


还有“偏衫”，算是听衣里的“轻便款”，是直裰的“前身”，也是从汉服改来的。它交领右衽，袖子窄窄的，比海青轻便，比直裰简洁，特别适合做细活。比如在藏经阁整理经书，翻页时窄袖子不会勾到纸张；在禅房里抄经，胳膊动起来也灵活；就算夏天天热，穿件薄布偏衫，也比穿厚海青凉快。偏衫还常跟其他听衣搭配穿，里面穿件贴身布衫，外面套偏衫，再系条腰带，既整齐又保暖，从炳灵寺石窟的唐代弟子像上能看到，不少僧人都这么穿，里面的偏衫露出交领，外面再披件薄薄的上衣，清爽又利落。


再看《西游记》里的玄奘，赶路时穿的其实就是听衣，素色的圆领袍，宽袖子，跟唐代僧人日常穿的海青、直裰一模一样。要是他天天披袈裟赶路，不仅扛不住风吹日晒，还容易招来妖怪抢宝；穿听衣既低调又舒服，正好符合“日常便服”的规矩。这也难怪唐代诗人写僧人，总提“方袍”“衲衣”（听衣的别称），却很少写袈裟，毕竟诗人看到的僧人，大多是在田里劳作、在庙里念经的日常模样，穿的都是这些带着汉服影子的听衣，透着一股平和朴素的生活气。


师徒四人西行途中用饭，唐僧着听衣。来源/影视剧《西游记》1986年版


西行便服：平民日常藏着的烟火气


历史上真实的玄奘西行时，穿的不仅有“听衣”，还有平民衣服。在风沙漫天的路上，平民服饰有时比僧袍更实用。


玄奘像，南宋。来源/《玄奘三藏像》，日本东京国立博物馆藏


隋唐西北平民的衣装，最讲究“因地制宜”。就拿头上所戴来说，男子日常最常戴的是能遮风挡沙的笠子和幞头。敦煌莫高窟的壁画里的船夫、纤夫，头上都顶着圆圆的笠子，这种用竹篾或芦苇编成的帽子，既能挡住西北毒辣的太阳，又能在起风沙时护着头发，简直是劳作必备。要是赶上稍微正式点的场合，比如去集市赶集，男人们就会裹上幞头，一块布往头上一缠，前面扎紧、后面垂着，既利落又显精神，就连戍边的兵士，朝廷发放的衣物里也少不了“幞头”这一项，可见它有多普及。


西北平民只选舒服耐穿的衣服。男子最常穿的是“衫”，尤其是短衫，长度到膝盖上下，两侧还开着衩，不管是在田里耕作，还是在作坊里织布，抬手抬腿都方便。莫高窟壁画上耕作的农民、修房子的泥匠，穿的都是这种短衫，有的还在外面套一件“半臂”。这是一种短袖外套，长不过腰，两袖只到肘部，干活时套着能挡点寒风，热了随手一脱也省事，连戍边的兵士，军装里都少不了半臂。


莫高窟第116窟主室北壁（局部），白袍内暗红带碧斓的半臂衣。来源/《因时而衣中国服饰的搭配》 ，故宫博物院


下身的裤子更有讲究，平民穿的“袴（kù）”分单袴和复袴（夹裤），裤管都做得比较窄，这样走路、骑马才利索。要是家里条件差点，买不起完整的袴子，就穿“裈（kūn）”，也就是有裆的短裤，直接贴身穿，虽然看着朴素，却比没裆的“胫衣”方便多了。


唐，白花绫裈。来源/美国克利夫兰艺术博物馆藏


隋唐时期，最能体现“西北特色”的还要数脚上穿的。这里的平民可不像中原人常穿丝履，而是以皮靴、麻鞋、草鞋为主。皮靴大多是没靴筒的“皮鞋”，用牛皮简单缝制，耐穿还防水，不管是走在戈壁滩的碎石路上，还是踩在田间的泥地里，都不怕磨坏。敦煌雇工契里就常把“皮鞋壹量”当作雇工的工钱之一，可见它在平民生活里的重要性。要是平时在家干活，大家就穿麻鞋或草鞋，麻鞋用麻线编织，透气又便宜；草鞋则是用麦秆或芨芨草编的，下雨下雪天穿还能防滑，虽然朴素，却比任何华丽的鞋子都接地气。


回望《西游记》里玄奘的锦襕袈裟，再看看隋唐西北平民的日常衣装，忽然明白，袈裟是一种精神符号，而听衣、平民服饰才是日常选择。从玄奘的袈裟配法会、听衣适日常，到平民的笠子挡风沙、皮鞋耐奔波，服饰的选择始终围绕不同的场景展开。这种对礼仪的尊重、对生活的适配，也是唐僧历经万难也要西行取经的精神动力。


玄奘穿越沙漠。来源/纪录片《玄奘之路》


参考文献：

①叶娇：《唐五代西北平民服饰浅谈》，《求索》2010年8月。

②宋东：《佛教中国化视域下的僧衣演变研究——以济南灵岩寺彩塑罗汉群像僧衣为中心》，《中国宗教》2023年12月。

③孙茂霞：《汉传佛教僧衣漫谈》，《中国宗教》2016年8月。

④陈悦新：《龙门石窟唐代佛像着衣类型》，《文物》2020年第7期。

⑤张含悦：《唐代弟子像法服的横披式上衣——以佛教石窟造像及壁画为例》，《敦煌研究》2023年第2期。

⑥李宁：《3-7世纪高昌服饰文化研究》，西北大学2011年硕士学位论文。

⑦刘烨：《基于的唐代服饰研究》，华中师范大学2019年博士学位论文。


*本文系“国家人文历史”独家稿件，欢迎读者转发朋友圈。


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作者 | 成蹊
编辑 | 胡心雅 
 主编 | 周斌
排版 | 徐沁 喻露加（实习）
校对 | 李栋
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", @@ -12325,28 +12303,6 @@ "hash": "5f74af3509bb7119b65229e9a44505ee", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "012WORLD - China's economic security growth model highlighted", - "description": "

China's economic transition is now focused on coupling high-quality development with high-level security.

\n

This shift is fueling resilient growth through greater technological self-reliance and a strengthened domestic demand base, noted experts at a recent Washington, DC, event.

\n

"The overarching political guidance for China's economy now is to quote 'coordinate development and security'," said Yeling Tan, a professor of public policy at the University of Oxford and nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

\n

Tan shared this insight during a virtual panel on Oct 8 hosted by the PIIE, where experts explored China's evolving development approach. The event was held against the backdrop of Beijing's intensified support for growth, with recent developments signaling strength.

\n

The International Monetary Fund noted in a briefing last week that China's economy has shown robustness despite trade pressures, buoyed by fiscal measures in early 2025. The World Bank, on Oct 7, upgraded its 2025 forecast for China to 4.8 percent. Reuters reported in early October that China's "new economy "sectors are performing strongly.

\n

Panelists highlighted how this approach, which Tan called the "economic security growth model", moves beyond export- or investment-driven labels. It centers on coordinating development and security through pillars of strategies and measures such as dual circulation, self-reliant high-tech innovation, and a toolkit for addressing foreign economic coercion.

\n

Dual circulation takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting internal and external markets boost each other.

\n

"Trade statistics show that direct trade between China and the US and other advanced economies is plateauing," Tan said. "Trade with the rest of the world continues to increase."

\n

The second pillar restructures toward self-reliant innovation insulated from geopolitical risks, involving a "whole-of-nation" push to fund science and technology domestically, link labs and universities, and unleash "new quality productive forces".

\n

Fiscal allocations have risen steadily for education, science and technology from 2023 to the projected 2025, Tan said. "Education approvals for science and engineering programs reached nearly three-quarters by 2024, from about half in 2020. China's industrial robot adoption far exceeds global rates," Tan said, pointing out that different systems are moving in a clear direction: promising innovation-led growth.

\n

The third pillar establishes export controls and regulations, enabling responses to "coercion".

\n

China's AI strides also exemplify the approach's potential, closing gaps despite US curbs and fostering global benefits.

\n

Martin Chorzempa, a senior fellow at PIIE, said US export controls on advanced AI chips failed to restrain Chinese computational power "as much as the US would have hoped".

\n

US firms hold eight of the top 10 and 13 of the top 20 models, according to Artificial Analysis. But China secures six top-20 spots. "China is actually completely dominating the most capable models that are open," Chorzempa said. Companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba, Kimi and Zhipu AI garner massive downloads, including in Silicon Valley, where US firms use them for security or privacy, observers note.

\n

The competition, to some extent, advantages the world. "The rest of the world then will be able to play the two off of each other and make sure that they have access to highly capable AI systems they can apply in their country," Chorzempa said.

\n

Stanford's 2025 AI Index this month said China is narrowing performance gaps. The World Economic Forum in June deemed China's advances expected, given coordinated systems. SoftCircles blog spotlighted innovations like the DeepSeek-R1 AI model and Huawei's Ascend 910C chip.

\n

Chorzempa said diffusion decides winners. "The real winners from those technologies are not who develops it first or who has the most capable technology at the very beginning, it's who actually diffuses and uses that throughout the economy," he said, mentioning that AI spreads faster than any prior technology.

\n

yifanxu@chinadailyusa.com

\n

", - "content": "

China's economic transition is now focused on coupling high-quality development with high-level security.

\n

This shift is fueling resilient growth through greater technological self-reliance and a strengthened domestic demand base, noted experts at a recent Washington, DC, event.

\n

"The overarching political guidance for China's economy now is to quote 'coordinate development and security'," said Yeling Tan, a professor of public policy at the University of Oxford and nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

\n

Tan shared this insight during a virtual panel on Oct 8 hosted by the PIIE, where experts explored China's evolving development approach. The event was held against the backdrop of Beijing's intensified support for growth, with recent developments signaling strength.

\n

The International Monetary Fund noted in a briefing last week that China's economy has shown robustness despite trade pressures, buoyed by fiscal measures in early 2025. The World Bank, on Oct 7, upgraded its 2025 forecast for China to 4.8 percent. Reuters reported in early October that China's "new economy "sectors are performing strongly.

\n

Panelists highlighted how this approach, which Tan called the "economic security growth model", moves beyond export- or investment-driven labels. It centers on coordinating development and security through pillars of strategies and measures such as dual circulation, self-reliant high-tech innovation, and a toolkit for addressing foreign economic coercion.

\n

Dual circulation takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting internal and external markets boost each other.

\n

"Trade statistics show that direct trade between China and the US and other advanced economies is plateauing," Tan said. "Trade with the rest of the world continues to increase."

\n

The second pillar restructures toward self-reliant innovation insulated from geopolitical risks, involving a "whole-of-nation" push to fund science and technology domestically, link labs and universities, and unleash "new quality productive forces".

\n

Fiscal allocations have risen steadily for education, science and technology from 2023 to the projected 2025, Tan said. "Education approvals for science and engineering programs reached nearly three-quarters by 2024, from about half in 2020. China's industrial robot adoption far exceeds global rates," Tan said, pointing out that different systems are moving in a clear direction: promising innovation-led growth.

\n

The third pillar establishes export controls and regulations, enabling responses to "coercion".

\n

China's AI strides also exemplify the approach's potential, closing gaps despite US curbs and fostering global benefits.

\n

Martin Chorzempa, a senior fellow at PIIE, said US export controls on advanced AI chips failed to restrain Chinese computational power "as much as the US would have hoped".

\n

US firms hold eight of the top 10 and 13 of the top 20 models, according to Artificial Analysis. But China secures six top-20 spots. "China is actually completely dominating the most capable models that are open," Chorzempa said. Companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba, Kimi and Zhipu AI garner massive downloads, including in Silicon Valley, where US firms use them for security or privacy, observers note.

\n

The competition, to some extent, advantages the world. "The rest of the world then will be able to play the two off of each other and make sure that they have access to highly capable AI systems they can apply in their country," Chorzempa said.

\n

Stanford's 2025 AI Index this month said China is narrowing performance gaps. The World Economic Forum in June deemed China's advances expected, given coordinated systems. SoftCircles blog spotlighted innovations like the DeepSeek-R1 AI model and Huawei's Ascend 910C chip.

\n

Chorzempa said diffusion decides winners. "The real winners from those technologies are not who develops it first or who has the most capable technology at the very beginning, it's who actually diffuses and uses that throughout the economy," he said, mentioning that AI spreads faster than any prior technology.

\n

yifanxu@chinadailyusa.com

\n

", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/20/content_012_68f545d8ed50ccabe151b659.htm#012WORLD", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:21:04 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "eb817c53c1c3850856e0085805839ef8", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "004COMMENT - Ensuring safety and transparency in 'pre-made' food", "description": "

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'Different strokes for different folks" applies as much to dining as to anything else. Food preferences are not just about flavors; they are also about where the ingredients come from, how they are processed, and what cooking methods are used. Which of these details should be disclosed to consumers is not only a marketing decision for many restaurants but also a regulatory question. Left unchecked, incomplete or misleading information could spark disputes, damage trust and even raise food safety concerns.

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The controversy over "pre-made" dishes in China shows just how divisive this issue has become. Some diners welcome convenience, while others reject the lack of wok hei (the smoky freshness of stir-fry). Yet whichever side people are on, one thing is clear: they prefer to be kept "well-informed".

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However, there is a sharp perception gap between what consumers seek and what restaurant operators offer. Equally important, legislation on food product labeling has not kept pace with the fast-paced changes in the food and agricultural industries; there isn't even a consensus on what exactly counts as a pre-made dish.

\n

The rising sales of premade dishes in China can be attributed to the rapid industrialization of the dining sector. To meet the demand for speedy service, and a wide variety and scale of dishes, restaurants nowadays increasingly rely on semi-finished dishes sourced from their "central kitchens". These dishes are stored, shipped and reheated in branch outlets. The same model powers meal delivery platforms, where standardized packs dominate. Frozen and/or shelf-stable pre-prepared meals have entered households across the country.

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But despite the growing efficiency of the industry, consumer concerns have increased. In practice, restaurateurs tend not to see their offerings as pre-made. But consumers often do, because they focus on how the food is sourced and prepared.

\n

This clash of perspectives matters. A dish that comes out of the kitchen is a "restaurant meal", regardless of whether its sauce was mixed and packaged in a factory. Yet outsourcing preparatory work changes the essence of the meal. It affects price, freshness, and even the cultural meaning of a dish. Globally, food law has increasingly tilted toward this process-oriented approach, demanding transparency in areas from irradiated and genetically modified foods to organic labels.

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How, then, should pre-made dishes be regulated? The answer depends on whether we treat them as a product or a process. If they are treated as products, legislators could adopt a "menu-style" approach while drafting regulations, and setting specific rules for each type of pre-made dish. But given the diversity of Chinese cuisine, it would be impractical and stifling. Instead, broad rules on additives, hygiene and labeling, already applied to packaged foods, would be more realistic.

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If the focus is on the process, consumers would want to know whether the dishes they ordered were made from scratch or prepared industrially, not because one is inherently safer, but because it reflects values such as sustainability, tradition, taste and price sensitivity. And process transparency allows consumers to make meaningful choices, much like organic or fair-trade labels do.

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Both approaches have to follow a common principle: the labels must not be misleading. The government recognizes the importance of pre-made food as an industry. The 2023 "No. 1 central document" explicitly encouraged its growth, and the government is working to set national standards. With the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) to be implemented next year, some local governments, too, are building industrial bases to boost the production of pre-made dishes. For policymakers, the challenge is to nurture this economic opportunity while safeguarding consumer trust.

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To do that, however, the companies need to adhere to the principle of transparency. Voluntary labeling by businesses can help even niche consumer groups, which have higher expectations, make informed choices, and could even allow restaurants to position themselves as different from others.

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But bridging the gap between public perception and professional definition requires more than just rules. It calls for sustained communication about what is pre-made food and what is not. Done right, regulations can ensure consumer choice and trust, industrial innovation and cultural confidence all grow together.

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The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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",