A renowned centre of gastronomy, Chengdu is the cradle and centre of Sichuan cuisine, one of the four references of Chinese cuisine: Sichuan cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Shandong cuisine and the Yangtze and Huaihe river-side cuisine. 

 

A Chinese saying states that: “the best cuisine is from China, while the richest flavor is from Chengdu”. In Chengdu, gastronomy and life are the same and are based on the notion of striving for harmony while preserving form, beliefs which are rooted in the most ancient Chinese philosophy.  The most outstanding feature of Chengdu cuisine is the great variety of flavors, based on the artful mixture of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty flavors.   

 

Catering is also an important part of Chengdu's service sector. Chengdu, a provincial capital city of Sichuan, is home to 62,509 catering enterprises giving work to 248,500 employees. In 2008, the city accomplished retail sales of nearly USD 44 billion, ranking fifth across the country, contributing significantly to local employment and economic growth. To date, the city boasts over 60,000 restaurants and more than 2,300 renowned chefs and serving masters.

 

Chengdu is a city recognized for its extensive public participation in gastronomy. Gastronomy activities organized by the government and non-governmental organizations are organized all over the city throughout the year, and include events such as the Chengdu International Food and Tourism Festival.

 

Chengdu is proud of having created the first brewery, tea culture center and food museum in China. Thanks to its popular food culture and tourism resources, Chengdu was recognized by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the China National Tourism Administration as one of the Best Tourist Cities in China, and was granted membership to the World Center of Excellence for Destinations (CED).