The 2024 Beijing International Gourmet Festival (BIGF) has recently commenced. With 80 catering events to be launched around the city, this year's BIGF will last till the end of August.

Launch ceremony of the 2024 BIGF

[Photo via people.cn]

There will be more than 20 events centered on the regional characteristic food in various districts in Beijing, including the 2024 Xicheng Food Festival, the "Midnight Diner Carnival" in Haidian, and the "A Bite of Fengtai: Summer Vacation Food Festival" in Fengtai, among others.

A gourmet market

[Photo via people.cn]

Consumers are invited to participate in five foreign cuisine-themed events that feature the unique cuisines around the world and the associated cultural traditions. The 22nd Zhongguancun International Food Festival brings together over 100 specialty brand restaurants that stay open until the early morning hours, and a map for late-night dining options will also be unveiled. The 2nd Silk Road and Food Culture Festival aims to promote domestic and international exchanges and mutual learning through food exhibitions, exchange of famous chefs, signings for cooperation projects, and other sub-events. The 2nd Michelin Food Festival invites at least 20 Michelin-listed restaurants to host a sales fair for high-end food and derivatives.

Focusing on beer and other relevant elements, Beijing Chaoyang International Craft Beer Festival plans to invite the world's top 100 craft beer brands to attend, and introduce e-sports concerts and the sub-events for the sampling of the dishes around the world. People will also get to partake in various sub-events focusing on "watching performances, drinking beer, and tasting delicious food" at the 14th Fragrant Hills German Beer Festival.

To offer better guidance for consumers, three gourmet-themed maps will be released, focusing respectively on the restaurants recommended by the Beijing liaison offices of local governments and major State-owned enterprises, time-honored restaurants, and restaurants featuring foreign cuisine A total of 10 tour routes themed "Roam Beijing: Eating while Touring" will also be released. You can search for "Roam Beijing" on the amap for the route details (漫步北京).

In addition, there are exciting online offers. The live-streaming sessions for the festival on Douyin and Meituan are anticipated to encompass over 2,000 brands and more than 30,000 catering establishments throughout the city. Several promotional campaigns will also be unveiled.

(Source: Official WeChat account of Beijing International Gourmet Festival )