On the afternoon of April 3, the 'Great Cantonese Cuisine' cultural exchange conference, organized by the Guangdong Culinary Association and co-sponsored by the Chimelong Group, was held at the Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel in Zhuhai.
Over 400 industry leaders, elites, Cantonese cuisine masters, experts, scholars, media friends, and association members from all over the country gathered together to witness this industry event, including Chen Dong, Vice Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (at the departmental level), Wei Jianwen, Level 2 Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, Yang Qifan, Level 2 Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, Luo Xiaoming, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Social Organization Management, Wu Qingsong, Deputy Director of the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, Wang Xiaohua, Level 1 Researcher of the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and Zhao Liping, President of the Guangdong Culinary Association.
The conference was themed 'Great Cantonese Cuisine' cultural exchange and aimed to explore new ideas and a new pattern to enhance the development of Cantonese cuisine in the new era, which was in line with the work deployment to promote the high-quality development of the 'Cantonese Chef' project by the Guangdong provincial and municipal committees and governments.
It was also an active measure to accelerate the steady and comprehensive recovery of Guangdong's catering industry, providing useful enlightenment and effective assistance to the development of Guangdong's catering industry and even the national culinary and catering industry in the future.
Zhao Liping, President of the Guangdong Culinary Association, said in his speech that the conference was a groundbreaking industry event. Since its establishment, the association has always adhered to the purpose of "inheritance, development, exploration, and innovation," and actively carried out work such as promoting culinary culture, researching culinary science, propagating culinary knowledge, and cultivating culinary talents, serving members, the industry, the government, and socio-economic construction.
The association has always insisted on people-oriented and strives to build a united, win-win, harmonious, and efficient platform for industry exchange and cooperation, promoting the development and promotion of culinary skills and contributing actively to the sustainable development of Guangdong's catering industry and even the national catering industry.
In the new development era, the association will continue to focus on five main areas, namely chef title assessment, gourmet district evaluation, star-rated chef evaluation, organizing professional skill training and competitions, and participating in the formulation of industry standards, deepen exchange and mutual learning, implement the requirements of the "Cantonese Chef" project with industry colleagues, establish the image of the "Cantonese Chef," continuously improve the influence of Cantonese cuisine and Cantonese chefs nationwide and even worldwide, polish the "Great Cantonese Cuisine" gold signboard, and tell good stories about Guangdong and China, fully demonstrating national confidence and cultural self-confidence.
Dong Zhenxiang, a leading figure in China's exquisite catering industry and founder of Da Dong Chinese Artistic Cuisine, gave a keynote speech titled "Integration and Development of Great Cantonese Cuisine" in the master lecture hall section, pointing out that industry associations play an important platform role, serving members, the industry, and the government, and speaking up for the industry and empowering enterprise development. The conference's main purpose was to explore the development and integration of Cantonese cuisine and promote the sustainable development of the catering industry.
The renowned documentary director of Chinese cuisine, Chen Xiaoqing, who directed "A Bite of China" and "Once Upon A Bite," participated in a themed exchange on "Authenticity and Innovation in Cantonese Cuisine." He expressed that Cantonese cuisine embodies inheritance and inclusiveness, showing both the past and the future. The excellence of Guangdong cuisine owes much to the discerning taste buds of the Cantonese people, who are unmatched in their pursuit of excellence in food.
Tang Yan, the director of the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, shared that in the Chinese fine dining market, Cantonese cuisine had the highest number of restaurants and average customer spending in 2022, but the number of restaurants had decreased from the previous year.
During the event, industry experts exchanged and discussed ideas, bringing new insights, revelations, and impetus to the high-quality development of China's catering industry in the new era. Their expertise and ingenuity clarified the development goals, paths, and measures of the industry, providing new ideas for its growth.
Wei Jianwen, a second-level inspector of the Provincial Human Resources and Social Security Department, emphasized the role of the Guangdong Culinary Association as a "bridge" between the government and the industry. He encouraged the association to collaborate with companies, groups, and individuals to identify the synergy between the "Cantonese Cuisine Masters" project and the integration of Cantonese cuisine industry, promoting the high-quality development of the industry.
During the conference, the Guangdong Culinary Association held the ninth council plaque award ceremony, presenting plaques to the members of the ninth council, including the president, chief consultant, honorary president, honorary consultant, chairman of the supervisory committee, executive vice president, and vice presidents.
The success of the "Greater Cantonese Cuisine" cultural exchange conference received strong support from Chimelong Group. Su Zhanhang, the vice president of Chimelong, stated that as a leader in family vacations, Chimelong is willing to work with everyone to tell the story of Cantonese cuisine through events such as food festivals and culinary competitions, expanding the influence of Cantonese cuisine and promoting the integration of food and tourism development. During the banquet, the Guangdong Culinary Association and Chimelong Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement, establishing a long-term, stable, and mutually beneficial relationship to jointly create food culture festivals, collaborate on project training, and promote mutual cooperation.
The Guangdong Culinary Association will use the "Greater Cantonese Cuisine" cultural exchange conference to build a platform for communication and mutual learning, fully utilizing the industry's platform role, and working together with members and brother units to serve the overall situation, pioneer innovation, and contribute positively to the high-quality development of China's catering industry and the industry's better tomorrow.
[All images courtesy by the Guangdong Culinary Association]
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