XINJIANG- When the global craze for Labubu dolls swept across social media, I didn’t expect that in Xinjiang, visitors would be falling for another adorable creation: the nang plush toy.

In China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the beloved flatbread nang, made from fermented dough with just a pinch of salt, has been reimagined as fluffy plushies, quirky keychains, stylish handbags, and even nang-inspired drinks like nang coffee and nang yogurt. These cultural spin-offs are more than novelties. They represent how traditional food culture is finding new life among young people in creative and playful ways.

At the Nang Theme Pavilion inside Urumqi’s International Grand Bazaar, I watched tourists from across China and beyond queue up for a taste of freshly baked nang, while others posed with nang plushies or joined an immersive “baking experience.” On peak summer weekends, the pavilion sells over 10,000 nang in a single day. Clearly, this flatbread is no longer just food. It has become a symbol of local living traditions.

There’s an old local saying: “Better three days without meat than one day without nang.” That’s how deeply ingrained nang is in daily life here.

Today, nang’s new “plush form” is capturing the imagination of a new generation. Some visitors told me the soft, bouncy texture of the toys even doubles as a stress-reliever, Xinjiang’s own “Jellycat”.

But behind the cuteness lies a bigger story: the booming cultural economy of Xinjiang. In 2024, the region welcomed over 302 million tourist trips, a 14% increase from the previous year. Between January and August this year alone, arrivals already reached 230 million. The Grand Bazaar itself recorded 30 straight days of 200,000 plus daily visitors in the summer peak.

As a historic hub on the ancient Silk Road, Xinjiang has long been a meeting point of cultures. Today, that spirit of exchange is being reinvented: traditional foods like nang are crossing over into the world of trendy merchandise, creating a fusion of heritage and modern lifestyle.

From flatbread to plush toy, from market snack to cultural IP, nang is proof that Xinjiang’s tourism economy isn’t just thriving. It’s innovating. And sometimes, the best way to understand an economy on the rise is to look not at numbers, but at the small, quirky souvenirs that people take home in their suitcases and in their hearts.