Chaozhou
About the Creative City:
Situated between seas and mountains, Chaozhou is a city shaped by over 1,600 years of history. This rich heritage has gifted the city with unique cultural treasures, such as Chaozhou Gongfu tea and a distinctive cuisine. The city is celebrated as the birthplace of Chaozhou Cuisine and acknowledges culture as a global public good. This Creative City is endowed with a mild climate, abundant rainfalls and rich food resources such as olive and tea and is also known as a Land of Fish and Rice.
The globally renowned Chaozhou Cuisine is showcased and appreciated through restaurants spanning over 130 countries and regions. It has proudly represented China at World Expos and the Beijing Olympics, featuring a rich variety of over 500 dishes, 300 snacks, and 100 condiments. Chaozhou also hosts over 100 annual food-themed conferences, exhibitions, festivals, and contests. These serve as vibrant platforms for industry development and international communication and cooperation, offering a global audience a taste of Chaozhou’s creative gastronomy.
The city hosts an extensive lineup of national culinary festivals, such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival. These events seamlessly combine Chaozhou’s gastronomic achievements with its rich traditional customs. According to the city, these events attract around 10 million citizens and tourists each year. Beyond enriching the city’s cultural sector, these festivals play an important role in fostering economic, social and environmental advancements, contributing significantly to the city’s sustainable urban development.
Added Value:
As a Creative City of Gastronomy, Chaozhou is dedicated:
To leverage the role of creative gastronomy in driving sustainable urban development;
To implement various initiatives to create more job opportunities, particularly for youth and women;
To promote the necessity of healthy lifestyles, enhancing the well-being of people of all ages and sharing knowledge on the city’s gastronomical heritage; and
To provide access to the city’s good practices, and work with the Network to reduce poverty, strengthen cooperations and promote sustainable development, supporting culture as a global public good.
