Xian, one of Chinas oldest cities and home to the former Sui and Tang dynasties 1,300 years ago, is promoting its local cuisine to the world at the recently opened 2019 Chinese Food Art Festival and the Shaanxi Cuisine International Gourmet Cultural Festival (the Festival). Through showcasing its provincial cooking styles and creative fusions, the city hopes to create a doorway for tourists and visitors to explore the Silk Road and experience the unique taste of Xian.

"The city of Xian has been witness to profound changes in the development of Chinese gourmet cuisine. Over the centuries, the region has also developed its own particular Xian style of cooking, which is viewed by many as one of northwestern Chinas unique achievements," said Hengjun Lv, the Director General of Xian Municipal Bureau of Commerce. "This year, the Festival will not only showcase regional delicacies passed down through generations, but also the development of the local food industry ecosystem which has benefitted residents and global visitors alike."

The festival will feature food exhibitions in five city locations, devised to highlight the refined tastes of the city, from roadside snacks to dishes from time-honoured restaurants to fusion-foods that amplify Xians unique and historical status as an international trade route. 

Taking advantage of the metropolis position on the Silk Road, Xian is gathering domestic and international resources and insights to establish a platform for cultural food exchange. In addition to introducing local cuisine to global visitors, two forums at the Festival will discuss the development of Chinese food and the future of Xian cuisine along the Silk Road, wher it is expected to play a crucial role in cultural cooperation with sister cities in the decades to come.

A cooking performance show, which will gather Chinese and foreign chefs to exchange skills and share knowledge, will be an additional highlight of the Festival.

Xian is a well-known food destination for Chinese and international tourists. As the former imperial capital and the birth place of Chinese food, Xiandevelops its regained trading hub status, which aims to introduce new retail and smart catering to improve the coordinated development of the food-tourism and cultural industries with greater cooperation between Xian and cities along the Belt and Road Initiative.

about Xian

The capital of Chinas western Shaanxi province, Xian is an international tourist destination with over 3,000 years of history and world-renowned attractions such as the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and its ancient City Wall. The city, dubbed "Chinas outdoor museum," was the starting point of the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes established during Chinas Han Dynasty that linked the East and the West in commerce.