Hou Jinchen put freshly-baked bread on a shelf at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. Born in 2005, Hou Jinchen studies culinary arts at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College. He began learning to bake at the age of 12, and his passion for it has grown ever since.
From shaping dough to baking and decorating bread, Hou follows a rigorous training routine. He practices the same techniques over and over to build muscle memory, carefully recording changes in temperature and ingredient quantities during each session and constantly refining the details.
Outside training, he also visits local bakeries to learn from working bakers. He believes they have a better understanding of consumer preferences, which gives him insights that training focused solely on competitions may not always provide.
His efforts have earned him both gold and bronze medals in national vocational skills competitions, and he was later selected for the national team. The 21-year-old is now preparing for the upcoming WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai.
Among all the competition tasks, Hou devotes particular attention to artistic bread design. From sketching ideas to making molds and baking the final pieces, the process requires repeated adjustments. He sometimes uses 3D-printed molds and plans to incorporate more Chinese elements into his competition pieces in Shanghai.
For Hou, baking is not just a technical skill, but also a pursuit of craftsmanship. He hopes to showcase the skills and dedication of young Chinese bakers on the international stage.
"I can't imagine leaving the baking industry," Hou said. "In the future, I hope to become a coach and pass on what I have learned to younger bakers." (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen (C) makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen (R) reviews bread-making steps at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen reviews his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. His training plan is broken down into 5-minite intervals. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen (1st L) makes bread based on his training plan, as coaching staff watch and record at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread at a training base in Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen poses for a photo at a training base in Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen poses for a photo at a training base in Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen checks the condition of baguette at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen makes bread based on his training plan at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen looks at an installation related to bakery at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
Hou Jinchen exercises at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 30, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
