Full Enthusiasm! Linhai's "Thousand-People Feast" Takes the Internet by Storm

Recently, "Zibo Barbecue" went viral as a tale that began with fireworks and ended with sincerity, embedding the image of "Hospitable Shandong" deep in people's hearts.

Meanwhile, Linhai in Zhejiang—known as the "Thousand-Year-Old Great Wall South of the Yangtze," the "Capital of Chinese Snacks," and the "Hometown of Xin Rongji"—has also shown full enthusiasm in welcoming visitors from afar. An unprecedented "Thousand-People Feast" exploded into popularity this May Day holiday.

The "Thousand-People Feast" Heats Up, Endless Vibrant Energy

On April 30th（2023）, the Taizhou Prefecture City Thousand-People Feast officially kicked off in Linhai. With the millennium-old poetic mountain,Jinshan,as a real-life stage, dozens of hundred-meter-long tables were arranged in sequence, forming a picturesque landscape.

Local Linhai snacks such as Mai Youzhi (flour-wrapped rolls), Baishuiyang Tofu, and Zhaogeng (savory porridge) were gathered together. Nearly a thousand tourists from all over the country enjoyed the feast accompanied by ritual music. The venue was packed, presenting a spectacular scene.

"Such an opportunity is rare. It's truly worth the trip to enjoy delicious food with friends from all over the world in a 5A scenic area!" "Not only is the food delicious, but there are also unique performances. The staff on site were dressed in Song Dynasty-style costumes—it was truly a visual and culinary feast." "It's lively and full of energy. You definitely can't taste this flavor in a restaurant. Linhai gives me the feeling of a big family." Visitors immersed in Linhai's cuisine and scenery were full of praise for the event. The performances and food continuously drew crowds, surrounding the venue in layers upon layers of people.

"Sixty percent of the diners are tourists from other places, and forty percent purchased tickets online to attend. We feel this is not just an event, but also one of Linhai's important culinary tourism products," said Chen Jian, Deputy General Manager of Linhai Social Development Group.

Recommended by Zhang Yong,

Founder of Xin Rongji, and Personally Overseen by a Michelin Three-Star Chef

"The hall is filled with flowers, intoxicating three thousand guests; one sword's chill spans fourteen prefectures in frost." In the blink of an eye over a millennium, among the fourteen prefectures of Zhejiang, only Taizhou Prefecture City retains both its administrative seat and its ancient city walls.

This uniquely ceremonial "Thousand-People Feast" is precisely the accumulation and resurgence of the millennium-old vibrant energy of Linhai, this ancient city in the South of the Yangtze.

To ensure the taste, the dishes at the Thousand-People Feast were overseen by a Michelin three-star chef. Zhang Yong, founder of Xin Rongji, sincerely invites everyone to his hometown Linhai to taste the salty, sweet, and fresh specialty cuisine and experience the vibrant charm of this millennium-old city.

"Mai Youzhi is a traditional local snack in Linhai. Eating Mai Youzhi symbolizes family reunion and sitting together. We hope all tourists can enjoy their food and have fun in Linhai," said Ma Wenhua, head chef of the Thousand-People Feast.

At the "family feast," Linhai treated guests with the grand yet simple Mai Youzhi. Tourists choose their favorite vegetables, meat, seafood, etc., roll them into a thin, paper-like pancake, and take a bite. It not only blends flavors with distinct layers but also embodies Linhai's spirit of "openness and inclusiveness."

There was also the "World's Best Tofu Soup," made with cured meat, dried shrimp, pork shank bones, crucian carp, and other ingredients, simmered long without disintegrating, leaving an endless aftertaste. Plus, over ten snacks like ginger juice egg custard, ancient city savory congee, black rice glutinous rice cakes, green rice balls, and steamed rice rolls—all allowed diners to immerse themselves in exquisite flavors that tantalized their taste buds, savoring the taste of happiness in ordinary days...

Coming to Linhai, You Not Only Taste the Food, But Also the Culture!

A Michelin Town with Ten Restaurants in One City—A Holy Land for Food Check-Ins

Xin Rongji, known as the "ceiling of Chinese cuisine," started from a roadside food stall in Linhai in 1995. After 28 years of cultivation, it has won 49 Michelin stars and is the "hall of fame" catering brand with the most Michelin stars in China.

In Linhai, the "hometown of Xin Rongji," ten restaurants under the "Rong" brand, including Xin Rongji, Rongzhuang, Gangji, Rong Xiaoguan, Rongjia Sichuanese Cuisine, Rongcun, and Rongjia Snacks, are spread throughout the city. You can eat at a different place for five days straight without repeating.

In recent years, Linhai has been awarded honors such as "China's Geographic Indicator Food Capital" and one of the "Top 100 Chinese Specialty Food Counties." It successfully hosted events like the Linhai·Glory First Chinese Folk Chefs Competition. Praised as a "Michelin Town" by foodies and tourists alike, Linhai's culinary reputation continues to spread far and wide.

The "top influencer" seaweed cakes on Ziyang Street, "Daren" mung bean noodles, "Wu Meixian" stuffed wontons, "Steamed Bun Gentleman" fresh meat buns, Youlan Lane sugar cakes, as well as plum cakes, glutinous rice fried dough sticks, sesame cakes, stuffed pancakes, glutinous rice balls, black rice glutinous rice cakes, and sweet fermented rice—all hidden in the streets and alleys of Linhai—are culinary surprises waiting for you to discover.

In this "holy land for food check-ins," you'll never struggle with what to eat.

Linhai, located on the eastern coast of Zhejiang, is an ancient yet modern city that blends millennium-old charm, beautiful landscapes, and contemporary vitality. Nature has endowed it with unique ingredients available all year round, creating Linhai's distinctive culinary flavors and making it a "poetry and distant land" longed for by foodies. Ziyang Street, as the culinary hub of the millennium-old Taizhou Prefecture, consistently tops various trending lists.

This "Good Food in Linhai" Thousand-People Feast is the first immersive culinary experience product of Taizhou Prefecture City in the post-5A era. Moving forward, Linhai will focus on the "Good Food in Linhai" IP brand, emphasizing the food labels of "fresh, sweet, and sticky." It plans to launch seasonal versions for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and will timely introduce immersive culinary experience products such as the Scholar Hall Taizhou Prefecture Feast and the Donghu Song Dynasty Garden Culinary Show, shaping the "Linhai Model" of cultural, commercial, and tourism integration.

Translator：Jiayang Lin