Sichuan bean jelly, a famous local snack with a lot of toppings.

With lip-smacking relish among a global array of gourmets, the eighth International Food and Tour Festival of China officially opened in Chengdu, the capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Wednesday. It will last until the end of the October holidays.

The China Council For the Promotion of International Trade and the municipal government of Chengdu city are holding the event together. The Ministry of Commerce also plays a significant role in successfully conducting the festival.

Other local governmental or civil departments, such as the city's publicity department, tourism office, commercial bureau, municipal TV station and local cuisine association, also assisted in launching the event.

According to the organizing committee, the festival has been a huge success ever since the first one in 2003 and has become a significant influence in international cuisine.

As one of Chinese famous historical and cultural cities, Chengdu was awarded the title "Gastronomic Capital" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last February. It became the second city in the world and first among Asian cities to win such an honor.

The title has helped the food and tour festival to attract an increasing number of tourists both domestically and from overseas to join in the occasion.

In order to raise its profile and add to the gala's atmosphere, organizers have created special guides for gourmets and tourists alike to better and more easily enjoy the delights on offer.

For the first time a series of activities has been arranged for visitors.

The organizing committee will work with Ctrip.com, a leading travel website. It has created themed pages providing information about traffic, hotels, tourist spots and food services in Chengdu.

Meanwhile, another seven historical towns - Tai'an, Luodai, Huanglongxi, Jiezi, Anren, Pingle and Xilai - have published information relating to the gala to arouse the interest of tourists there.

A ticket called the "Panda Catering Travel Passport" will be issued to tourists attending the gala. According to Chen Shi'an, deputy head of the city's tourism office, the passport, used alongside electronic coupons downloaded from Ctrip.com, will provide travelers with discounts during their time at the festival.

Festival details

The eighth International Food and Tour Festival of China under the theme "Chinese Food, International Banquet" has its central venue the International Non-Material Cultural Heritage Garden in the city's downtown area in Qingyang district, home to the famous site of Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) poet Du Fu's thatched cottage.

In addition to the central venue, where many of the celebrations will occur, there are also secondary halls in 19 of the city's districts and other counties in Sichuan province. The secondary venues will also supply food and signpost scenic spots for travelers.

For instance, in Chengdu's Qingyang district, during the whole gala, healthy food will be served under a theme called "Ecological Green". Local restaurants will set exciting new dinner menus with traditional folk songs as a backdrop.

In Chengdu's Wuhou district, there will be cooking competitions and food-related films will be screened to add to the festival's atmosphere.

In neighboring Shuangliu county, a food fair will be held alongside a cultural show based on the famous historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century. The book concerns the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties (206 BC-AD24 and AD 25-220) and the Three Kingdoms era (AD 220-280) of Chinese history.

During the whole gala, eight main events will take place from mid-September, when the official news conference was held in Chengdu to announce the event.

The opening ceremony was performed in the theme venue in Chengdu on Wednesday evening with thousands of guests and tourists witnessing the exciting moment.

Other activities, such as forums and competitions are expected to attract a substantial number of tourists as well.

Preparation work

To guarantee its smooth running, the organizing committee launched a range of measures before the festival started. Many influential media organizations were asked to report on the events. At least 40 big-name correspondents from domestic and overseas outlets are attending the big occasion.

The New York Times is among prestigious newspapers reporting the event. In addition, big names in China, such as Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television and China Daily, are also dispatching teams of reporters.

Organizers have created special bus lanes for tourists participating in the gala. Four lines of buses will run to the central venue of the gala.

Resolutions

"We will try our best to have a successful festival and we will make it the best platform for displaying culture and food," said Wen Feng, the deputy director of Chengdu's commercial bureau, speaking on behalf of the organizing committee at a news conference last week in Chengdu.

"The city of Chengdu holds a leading position within China's diverse cuisine," he added.

The city has the earliest records of professional cooking and the first brewery in China's history, achievements that were fundamental to the city's development, said Wen.

There are now more than 6,000 different dishes created in the city, all of them delicious and delicate, making it one of the world's important catering centers.

"Based on the current blueprint, the city is planning to develop itself into an international capital of food," said Wen, adding that by extending the influence of the festival will help them to fulfill that aim.

"We promised to be dedicated to making the festival a real international banquet and spread the attractions of this city to the country and even the whole world."

Sichuan specialties attract plenty of attention at the international food festival. Photos Provided to China Daily

(China Daily 09/28/2011 page13)