At a small cultural and creative store on Shangxin Street in Jinan, Shandong province, visitors can capture memories of the city by stamping their favorite designs onto notebooks and keepsakes.

From Baotu Spring and Daming Lake to old streets and hidden corners, the shop owner Zhai Fengping draws inspiration from the city's landmarks, culture and everyday life to create designs that tell the story of Jinan.

For Zhai, the shop has become more than a business. In April, he was among 28 young shop owners recognized as an E-category professional talent in Jinan's first group of "Quancheng Youth Store" owners. The recognition gave new meaning to his relationship with the city where he has put down roots — and to his efforts to tell Jinan's stories in his own way.

Jinan has expanded its high-level talent classification system to include "Quancheng Youth Store" owners, recognizing them as E-category professional talent alongside doctoral and master's degree holders.

The first group of recognized shop owners had an average age of 35. They came from diverse educational backgrounds and worked across a wide range of sectors, including food and beverage, cultural and creative industries, intangible cultural heritage, agriculture, culture and tourism, fitness and leisure, and cultural and social activities.

The recognition is part of Jinan's "Quancheng Youth Store" initiative, launched in November 2025 to tap into the potential of the small-business economy and encourage young people to innovate and start businesses. So far, the city has cultivated 109 such stores.

After graduating from university, the entrepreneur, born in the 1980s, never expected that running a small shop would earn him such recognition.

Zhai is from Jining, Shandong. He came to Jinan to study in 2004 and has stayed in the city ever since. "I've long considered myself a new Jinan resident," he said.

Before opening his shop, Zhai, who studied medicine and pharmaceuticals, worked in e-commerce sales for a foreign company. It was a stable career, with a decent income and a respectable position.

But he wanted to build something of his own. The cultural and creative industry gave him the opportunity he was looking for.

"After living in Jinan for so many years, I've developed a strong attachment to its old streets, springs and culture," he said. "Many cultural and creative products look alike. I wanted to create something that captured the familiar warmth of Jinan while showing its distinct local character."

In 2024, Zhai left his corporate job and decided to take the plunge. He rented a century-old courtyard house on historic Shangxin Street and began his entrepreneurial journey.

His cultural and creative store, Jinan Yinji, opened to the public in early 2025, becoming the second shop on the street to open its doors.

The building itself is a traditional residence on Shangxin Street. Rather than extensively remodeling the exterior, Zhai and his team reinforced the roof and interior while preserving the building’s original architectural features.

The early days were not easy. The team spent months refining its products, incorporating landmarks and cultural icons such as Baotu Spring and Chaoran Tower into the designs.

They eventually created more than 1,000 original multicolor stamps. Taking advantage of the traditional courtyard, they also introduced activities such as traditional tea-making around a stove, making use of the courtyard to give the shop both an artistic atmosphere and a sense of everyday warmth.

For Zhai, the recognition as an E-category professional talent also comes with tangible support. Those recognized can apply for a transportation card within one year, allowing them to travel free of charge on Jinan's buses and metro for three years. They can also access support in areas including housing, children's education, healthcare and entrepreneurship.

Zhai Fengping (left), owner of Jinan Yinji, introduces the store's stamp designs to customers on Aug 17. [Photo/english.jinan.gov.cn]

A multicolor stamp design from Jinan Yinji, featuring Shangxin Street, a century-old street in Jinan. [Photo/english.jinan.gov.cn]

A multicolor stamp design from Jinan Yinji, featuring Jinan's iconic landmarks. [Photo provided to english.jinan.gov.cn]

A wall filled with stamp designs at Jinan Yinji. [Photo provided to english.jinan.gov.cn]