Quanzhou Net, August 12 (Reporter Zhang Suping, Correspondent Zeng Shibin, Text/Photos) — Since the beginning of summer vacation, the "Quanzhou Has Gift 'EAT' Together" event, launched by the Quanzhou Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, has been a resounding success. Centered around the offer of "100,000 portions of Minnan snacks for free," the event has drawn tens of thousands of participants. It acts as a cultural bridge linking Quanzhou's UNESCO World Heritage status with vibrant global exchanges: out-of-town students explore the ancient city through its cuisine, local youth reconnect with hometown memories, and international visitors discover Eastern flavors through their taste buds. Here, tradition and modernity deliciously collide.

International students take part in the "Quanzhou Has Gift 'EAT' Together" event.

The "Quanzhou Hao Chi Bao" (Quanzhou Delicious Food Bag) features local specialties.

　　Mystery Box Van Tour Generates Buzz, Students Enjoy Delicious Benefits

　　Since summer began, residents may have noticed a creatively decorated World Heritage food tour van distributing random food vouchers and surprise gifts along the route from Weiyuanlou Square to Zhongshan South Road every Saturday and Sunday between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The van, adorned with the cartoon image of "Sister Jiang Jiang"—a character with a blue headscarf symbolizing the local ginger duck dish—and emitting a playful "ribbit" sound, attracted crowds of curious onlookers.

　　"Just saying 'Quanzhou Hao Chi' (Quanzhou is delicious) was enough to get a food voucher—how awesome is that!" exclaimed Wang Yue, a college student from Changsha, Hunan. She immediately brought her classmates to a well-known shop after receiving the voucher. Holding a steaming bowl of beef soup, she filmed a vlog: "I did my research before coming, but I didn't expect such a fun surprise while exploring. The beef soup is wonderfully rich, and the Siguo Tang [a traditional chilled herbal beverage] is so refreshing. Enjoying these treats while sightseeing makes Quanzhou's summer incredibly welcoming!"

　　Many out-of-town students like Wang Yue shared their travel experiences on social media, showcasing limited-edition "Quanzhou Hao Chi Bao" tote bags.

　　For local students, the event felt like a rediscovery of their roots. Tian Qi, a Quanzhou native about to enter her third year of university, took her college classmates straight to the Quanzhou Maritime Museum after collecting their vouchers. "Quanzhou has not only incredible food but also a profound maritime cultural heritage. This event satisfied our appetites and expanded our knowledge," Tian Qi remarked with visible pride. It helped her see her hometown with new eyes.

　　As the event's main attraction, the World Heritage food tour van served as a "mobile cultural ambassador for Quanzhou."This moving mystery box van, featuring visuals inspired by the Minnan specialty ginger duck, had previously appeared at a Wang Leehom concert in Jinjiang and Quanzhou's intangible cultural heritage flash mob events. It distributed food vouchers and cultural creative gifts through "lucky draw" sessions, using engaging, youth-oriented methods to help traditional food gain wider popularity.

　　International Visitors Pose for Photos, Intangible Heritage Food Fosters Cross-Cultural Exchange

　　"Local students, out-of-town students, and even students from Southeast Asia, Europe, and America came to join the fun. Some hurried to old shops to redeem vouchers immediately, while others eagerly asked where they could buy the 'Sister Jiang' cultural products," said Huang Qiaowei, design director of the event's executive company, Fujian Qianqiu Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd., with a smile.

　　Some of the most memorable moments occurred when tourists from different cultural backgrounds connected over food and intangible heritage. Huang recalled a group of overseas university students enthusiastically taking photos with the "Sister Jiang" mascot alongside domestic students. They were delighted after correctly answering questions about intangible cultural heritage and winning culturally themed dolls. "Among them were European students, guided by local classmates. They had been in Quanzhou for just a few days but had already experienced multiple aspects of Quanzhou's intangible heritage, like puppet shows and the traditional服饰 (costumes) of Xunpu women."

　　The intangible cultural heritage Q&A session became a wonderful bridge for cultural exchange. Visitors randomly drew five questions covering Quanzhou's intangible heritage skills and traditional customs. Answering three correctly earned them cultural creative merchandise like tote bags, stickers, and dolls. "We were pleasantly surprised to see that many non-local students could also answer the questions correctly," Huang noted.

　　"Initially, some participants were skeptical about the event's authenticity, but their doubts turned to excitement when they learned the organizer was the Quanzhou Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau," Huang said. Students savored Siguo Tang while planning their itineraries, and international tourists used food vouchers to explore historic shops. This event, centered around food, has clearly become a vibrant window for Quanzhou's cultural tourism to introduce itself to the world.