Think Globally, Act Locally! Taizhou Seeks National Expertise in Its Bid for ‘City of Gastronomy’
On October 31(2025), the "Harmonious Mountains and Seas, Culinary Prosperity" 2025 World City of Gastronomy Urban Development Seminar was held in Tiantai, Taizhou.
This seminar focused on the construction and development of a "City of Gastronomy," bringing together government representatives, leading catering enterprises, academic institutions, and renowned experts and scholars from across the nation. Through keynote speeches and experience-sharing sessions, insights into the creation criteria, operational experience, and industrial resources for becoming a "City of Gastronomy" were presented. This provided diverse perspectives for Taizhou's culinary cultural heritage, industrial upgrading, and city branding, helping Taizhou take a solid step forward in its bid.
"The Taizhou Municipal Party Committee and Government included the creation of a 'City of Gastronomy' in the Party Congress report and the Government Work Report as early as 2023," stated He Xiaoxia, Director of the Taizhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports. At the seminar, she delivered a presentation titled "Taizhou's Full-Throttle Effort in Bidding for 'City of Gastronomy'!" sharing the city's determination and progress. She highlighted the phased achievements in Taizhou's bid: cultural research outcomes like the publication "Mountain and Sea Flavors: 'A Hundred Counties, A Thousand Bowls' and Taizhou's Dietary Culture"; collaborative efforts with the China Cuisine Association to advance the standardization of "Taizhou Cuisine"; the accelerated construction of the Taizhou Cuisine Museum; the gradual establishment of a culinary talent cultivation system spanning secondary vocational, higher vocational, and undergraduate education; strategic cooperation framework agreements with organizations like the China Cuisine Association, Michelin, and Meituan; participation in the "WIPO Chinese Cuisine Cultural Exhibitions" in Geneva and Paris; frequent features of Taizhou cuisine on mainstream platforms like CCTV's "A Bite of China" and "China Food Conference"; and effective stimulation of consumption through culinary events and innovative models like "Competitions + Cuisine."
He Xiaoxia further indicated that Taizhou will next focus on three areas—"Professional Empowerment," "International Communication," and "Heritage and Development"—to fully prepare for the 2027 application milestone, steadily advancing toward the "City of Gastronomy" goal.
How to excel in the application process? Sang Jian, Dean of the Food and Health Industry Research Institute at Jiangsu Tourism College, delivered a keynote speech titled "Linking to the Global Creative Network: The Development Path and Action Logic for a 'City of Gastronomy' from the Perspective of UCCN Evaluation." The speech, structured around four aspects—"The Logic of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network," "UNESCO's Criteria for Cities of Gastronomy," "Actionable Experience and Challenges," and "Preparation Pathways and Internationalization Suggestions"—provided a clear logical framework and practical guidance for the application.
Additionally, Wang Liangyun, Dean of the Catering Innovation Research Institute at Sichuan Tourism University, offered a "domestic model" in his presentation "The Achievements and Insights from Chengdu's Development as a 'City of Gastronomy,'" outlining replicable pathways to provide a clear reference for Taizhou. Chen Jian, Founding Dean of the Culinary College at Shunde Vocational and Technical University and President of the Culinary Professional Committee of the Guangdong Rural Artisans Association, in his talk "From 'Hometown of Chinese Chefs' to 'World City of Gastronomy,'" addressed the proposition of "internationalizing local characteristics." He pointed out the need to transform chef resources into a core driving force, thereby achieving effective connection and deep integration with the international market. Hong Kong and Macao brought perspectives on "international integration." Lee Chiu-fan, Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Association of Restaurant Managers, presented "Linking the World Through Cuisine: The Inheritance and Fusion of Asian Flavors from Hong Kong's Experience." He introduced Hong Kong's culinary philosophy of "inheriting without being conservative, innovating without losing roots" and expressed willingness to collaborate with Taizhou to build a culinary alliance, helping "Taizhou Flavors" go global. Li Rumin, Expert Advisor to the Macao Association of Restaurant Managers and Secretary-General of the Zhuhai-Hong Kong-Macao Cantonese Cuisine Research Institute, shared in his speech "How a 'City of Gastronomy' Empowers Local Catering Enterprises" insights on expanding international influence by hosting widely impactful thematic events. Huang Wuying, Vice Dean of the School of Culinary Arts and Nutrition at Guangdong Vocational College of Arts, delivered a presentation titled "Path Insights from Chaozhou's Bid to Build a 'City of Gastronomy,'" covering dimensions like "Project Background and Concept Definition" and "Chaozhou's Culinary Cultural Resources and Industrial Foundation," providing specific guidance for Taizhou's application planning.
This "Harmonious Mountains and Seas, Culinary Prosperity" seminar was not only a feast of culinary wisdom from across the nation but also a crucial boost for Taizhou's bid. From the phased achievements and advancement dimensions presented by Taizhou itself to the theoretical frameworks, practical models, and international experiences shared by experts from various regions, the layered discussions have laid a solid foundation for "Taizhou Flavors" to go global. In the future, with the localized application of external expertise and the deep synergy of multi-party resources, Taizhou's steps on the path to becoming a "City of Gastronomy" will undoubtedly grow steadier and more confident.
Translator：Jiayang Lin