By Zhang Junlin | Text and Photos

　　Suzhou, October 19, 2025 — The 34th China Chef Festival and 2025 China Culinary and Catering Expo concluded successfully after three days of celebration, competition, and culinary exchange. As a city at the forefront of China's bid for UNESCO's "Creative City of Gastronomy" title, Quanzhou took centre stage with the theme "Quanzhou Savor;Global Flavor."

　　Twenty-four enterprises from Quanzhou's various counties and districts joined the event, delivering the city's strongest-ever performance since it first began participating in the Chef Festival. Through creative showcases and business exchanges, Quanzhou demonstrated to national and global audiences the profound heritage and dynamic vitality of its Maritime Silk Routes gastronomy.

　　A Taste of the Sea Silk Heritage

　　At this year's festival, the Quanzhou delegation — jointly organised by the Quanzhou Office for the UNESCO City of Gastronomy Application and the Quanzhou Bureau of Commerce — brought together six industry associations and 24 leading enterprises.

　　Covering an area of 180 square metres, the Quanzhou Pavilion blended culture, creativity, and cuisine. Its red-brick architecture echoed the city's iconic southern Fujian-style buildings, while its design drew inspiration from Quanzhou's Song-Yuan golden age as the "Eastern Great Harbour."

　　Through a three-dimensional approach combining cultural display, food tasting, and industry promotion, the pavilion created an immersive experience where visitors could taste history and see culture. Over the course of the event, it welcomed more than 10,000 visitors, becoming one of the festival's most popular destinations among both industry professionals and social media influencers.

The Quanzhou Pavilion presented a vibrant coastal charm.

　　In the pavilion's culinary tasting area, visitors sampled the living flavours of Quanzhou's street food and banquet traditions — from Four-Fruit Soup and Beef Broth to Fish Rolls and Ginger Duck, dishes steeped in the aroma of local memory. At the same time, refined presentations of abalone, sea cucumber, and innovative appetisers such as marinated chicken snacks with new-season spices reflected the modern reinterpretation of tradition.

　　From signature snacks to heritage beverages, the showcase allowed guests to experience the diverse and layered character of Quanzhou's cuisine in a single stop.

Visitors enjoyed immersive demonstrations of intangible heritage techniques.

　　The pavilion also featured three themed banquets that reimagined Quanzhou's maritime legacy:

　　"Feast of Global Encounters", which recreated the bustling dining scenes of the Song-Yuan port era.

　　"Zanhua Banquet", blending the traditional women's hairpin flower ritual with Minnan cuisine, offering guests both aesthetic and cultural delight.

　　"Chenggong Family Feast", inspired by national hero Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga), highlighting Quanzhou's historical depth and cultural pride.

　　These banquets, paired with Dehua's "China White" porcelain tableware, elegantly reflected the cultural continuum of Song-Yuan China and Maritime Quanzhou.

　　Even the chef uniform display fused traditional Minnan design elements with contemporary style, symbolising both cultural inheritance and professional modernity.

　　Meanwhile, the "New Chinese Trends – Quanzhou Premium Goods" section showcased the innovation and potential of the local food industry. From elegantly packaged Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and Salted Plum Cakes to convenient and healthy modern snacks, these products balanced heritage with modern lifestyles. The exhibition attracted strong business interest and partnership opportunities, reinforcing Quanzhou's vision of bringing Maritime Silk Routes flavours to the world.

　　Craftsmanship and Recognition: Quanzhou Chefs Dazzle the Competition

Long queues formed for a taste of Quanzhou's signature dishes.

　　In the festival's competitive events, Quanzhou's culinary professionals achieved record-breaking results, showcasing both individual excellence and collective strength.

　　At the China Culinary Hall of Fame, Li Ruirong from Anxi Hutou Langshan Hotel was inducted for outstanding contributions to culinary artistry, theory, and heritage transmission — one of the highest honours in the Chinese culinary profession.

　　A four-member team from Shishi Rongyu International Hotel — chefs Huang Hongtian, Hu Zeliang, Xu Weixin, and Huang Huanan — won the Gold Award in the World Chinese Culinary Championship (2025) "Contemporary Chinese Cuisine" category, impressing judges with creative presentation and teamwork.

　　Meanwhile, Xu Xiaogui of Fujian Zhonghe Food Technology Co. earned the top prize in the Health Catering category, offering nutritious and flavourful meal solutions.

　　In the National Golden Chef Invitational, 15 chefs from Quanzhou collectively received Golden Chef Awards, underscoring the city's culinary innovation and technical mastery.

　　The 2025 championship drew 428 chefs from nine countries — including the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, France, India, South Korea, and China (including Hong Kong SAR) — representing 55 cities worldwide. Together, they showcased how Chinese cuisine continues to evolve through global dialogue and creative fusion.

　　Veteran master Cheng Zhenfang, a Hall of Fame laureate and mentor, noted that Quanzhou's culinary industry now demonstrates a dynamic ecosystem — "from individual mastery to team innovation, from heritage preservation to industrial upgrading." These achievements, he said, reflect both craftsmanship and confidence — "a new energy driving the cultural and economic vitality of Quanzhou's food industry."

　　From the UNESCO Stage to the National Table

　　During the event, the China Cuisine Association presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Quanzhou, recognising the city's contribution to promoting Chinese culinary culture internationally — notably during the International Day for Dialogue among Civilisations held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris earlier this year.

　　This honour reaffirmed Quanzhou's growing role as a global ambassador of Chinese gastronomy.

　　For Quanzhou, participation in the China Chef Festival was more than a showcase — it was a milestone in industry development and urban branding. The partnerships and investment agreements formed during the event are expected to further boost the local food economy.

　　Signature banquets such as the "Feast of Global Encounter," "Zanhua Banquet," and "Chenggong Family Feast" have now become cultural icons for the city's culinary diplomacy.

　　From UNESCO's international stage to China's premier culinary competitions, Quanzhou continues to demonstrate its cultural resilience, industrial creativity, and global influence. Building on the momentum of this year's achievements, the city aims to deepen culinary heritage research, foster innovation across the food value chain, and strengthen international exchange — ensuring that the flavours of the Maritime Silk Routes continue to travel the world.