Yangzhou fried rice. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Last week, people in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, enjoyed a food festival that showcased not only their own culinary traditions but those of other places on the Silk Road, including Italy and Turkey.

Yangzhou is a traditional center of Huaiyang cuisine, one of China's four major cooking styles. It's famous for its light, fresh taste and exquisite cuts, and now many time-honored restaurants, including Yechun and Fuchun teahouses, have become must-visits for tourists who want to have a taste of authentic Yangzhou flavors.

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Last week's festival celebrated the fact that Yangzhou was once the meeting point of the overland Silk Road and its maritime counterpart. To celebrate that 2,500 year history, the China Public Diplomacy Association, the embassy of Italy in Beijing, and the World Association of Chinese Cuisine jointly supported the Yangzhou government to initiate the four-day Silk Road Cuisine Display-Yangzhou Week food festival, starting from Sept 11. The celebration included cooking technique shows performed by master Chinese and Italian chefs, teaching sessions for people interested in learning how to make steamed buns, and conferences attended by Chinese and Italian government officials and entrepreneurs to seek economic cooperation between Yangzhou and Italy.

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