The September 26 opening ceremony for the 6th China International Food and Tour Festival.

Contestants prepare to compete for the title "King of Chili" atthe Happy Valley Theme Park in Chengdu, a main site of the festival. Whoever eats the most chilies is crowned king.

The Sixth China International Food and Tour Festival will turn Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, into a gourmet paradise for nearly a month.

Held for the first time in 2003, the annual event has evolved into a nationally popular festival due to Sichuan's distinctive food and the compelling sites of Chengdu.

This year's theme for the gala is "gourmet city and colorful life." Sponsored by the National Tourism Administration, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Council for the Promotion of National Trade and Chengdu municipal government, it runs from September 26 to October 20.

Mao Zhixiong, secretary general and spokesman for the Chengdu municipal government, said the festival is a hit in large part due to the city's rich array of restaurants. Chengdu has more than 60,000 dining establishments employing more than 250,000 people, of whom some 2,000 are top-notch chefs and nearly 300 are nationally ranked master chefs.

More than 800 famous restaurants in the city have chain outlets in other parts of the country and overseas.

The city's famous food quarters and streets include Taste all the Delicious on the western extension line of the Yangshi Street, Popular Food Street in the Funan New Area, the Food Quarter near the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum, the Temple of the Marquis of Wu Street, the Traditional Food Quarter in the Shuangnan residential quarter and the consulate food quarter.

Renowned eateries are also scattered along Qintai Road, Wenshufang, Jinli, the Wide and Narrow Alleys, Wangping Street and Tongzilin European Street.

Bustling restaurants create an entire city of gourmet food that casts a spell for visitors, said Deng Gongli, chief of the city's tourism administration.

UNESCO application

In fact Chengdu has had a food festival since far back in China's history.

In the 6th century, a Chengdu food fest was held to celebrate the founding of Taoism, the only religion indigenous to China. It combined fetes featuring flowers, temples and food.

The rich cultural connotations of the ancient Chengdu feast strongly underpin the city's bid for the title "City of Food" from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Deng said.

The Chengdu government started application preparations last year for inclusion in the Creative Cities Network, a UNESCO initiative that celebrates and maintains cultural diversity.

The bidding documents for inclusion in the Creative Cities Network and for the title "City of Food" have been submitted to the Ministry of Commerce, which gave its stamp of approval.

Experts from China's National Commission for UNESCO have also reviewed and improved the reports.

The applications are a new beginning for Chengdu to develop sectors that showcase and spread the city's culture globally and promote Sichuan cuisine worldwide.

Sichuan food is one of the four best-known cuisines in China, along with Huaiyang, Guangdong and Shandong foods.

Residents of Pixian county celebrate the opening of the 6th China International Food and Tour Festival.

As the National Day Holiday, which starts on October 1, and the Mid-Autumn Festival that falls on October 3 are major holidays for leisure and travel, the festival's organizing committee has designed a range of activities to cater to the different needs of visitors, Mao said.

At the Happy Valley Theme Park of the Overseas Chinese Town, the main site for the gala, visitors can also enjoy German, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese and South Korean food accompanied by performances by magicians.

Sixteen sub-venues in 16 districts, cities and counties under Chengdu's administration offer a smorgasbord of activities such as boxing matches in Shuangliu county that hearken back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280).

Tales of the period are known to almost every Chinese thanks to the novel Romance of Three Kingdoms written during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Considered one of the top-four classic Chinese novels, it tells the story of three warring states. One of its best-known figures is Zhuge Liang, then premier of the Shu State, now considered the personification of wisdom and loyalty in China.

The famous Temple of the Marquis of Wu in downtown Chengdu is dedicated to Zhuge Liang and it's the site of a famous food street.

In Wenjiang county, visitors can see how chefs cook dishes on the spot and the best chefs are chosen soon after the competition.

In Jintang county, which is known for its many river scenes, people can watch the cracking of fireworks on water in an evening gala.