Six time-honored Chinese brands in Beijing have finalized their exclusive English names amidst efforts to facilitate visits by foreign customers and expand business overseas

The six companies are: Quanjude Peking Roast Duck, Tongrentang Chinese Medicine, Wuyutai Tea Shop as well as Ruifuxiang Silk, Rongbaozhai Art Gallery and Wangzhihe Gourmet Food.

All these brands have been in business for over a century. The two oldest companies are Tongrentang Chinese Medicine and Wangzhihe Gourmet Food, a company particularly famous for its fermented bean curd products. Both were both founded in 1669.

The brand owners have unanimously recognized the translations and plan to make advertising signs using the English names. Businesses will hang up the advert boards inside their shops in March, the Beijing News reported.

The company is working on registering the English names and will promote them at home and abroad soon, said Shi Bingfeng, vice general manager of Quanjude.

A volunteer activity was launched last August in order to solicit English names for 50 old and well-known trademarks located in China's capital city.

More than 250 thousand replies were submitted worldwide, with overseas participants accounting for around 20 percent.

The event organizer reminded people that the second phase to collect English names has commenced in order to give corresponding names to the remaining brands. People can log on to the website at www.transn.com to take part in the activity or check out others' replies.

The English Names have already been fixed:

Quanjude Peking Roast Duck - Since 1864
Wuyutai Tea Shop - Since 1887
Tongrentang Chinese Medicine - Since 1669
Ruifuxiang Silk - Since 1862
Rongbaozhai Art Gallery - Since 1672
Wangzhihe Gourmet Food - Since 1669
 
(CRI January 9, 2008)