Chengdu

Chengdu's cultural identity includes a culinary tradition that UNESCO recognised through its Creative City of Gastronomy designation in 2010. The Sichuan capital draws on a wide range of flavours, combining sweetness, sourness, bitterness, heat and salt rather than relying on a single characteristic taste. Food also provides a setting for cultural exchange, festivals and education. UNESCO's account describes initiatives linking culinary practice with research, training and the transmission of local knowledge. In this part of Chengdu's public life, everyday eating and specialist craftsmanship belong to the same story, connecting the city's social habits with a tradition continually taught and renewed.