Just recently, the "Scenic Xiapu: Land of Thousand Sea Delicacies" International Promotion Event was held at Fujian Hotel in Beijing. Diplomatic envoys and students from Nepal, Dominica, Pakistan, Iran and other countries, as well as domestic and foreign experts attended the event to experience immersively Xiapu County's gastronomical culture, feel the unique charm of the cultural tourism charm of the county, and discover its development potential.

Attendees enjoyed both a visual feast and a culinary showcase featuring an abundance of the unique local dishes from Xiapu. They also learned about the unique culture and customs of Xiapu through the intangible cultural heritage exhibits and creative cultural products displayed at the market stalls.

Attendees tasting the local dishes of Xiapu
[Photo via Silk Road Cities Alliance]

According to Zheng Jinsi, Deputy County Mayor of Xiapu, the county is reputed for its rich natural landscapes and marine resources, and is known as an "International Photography Destination of Shallow Sea Mudflats" and an "International Destination for Game Fish Competitions". The county has the longest coastline, the largest shallow sea mudflats, and the most islands and reefs among all the coastal counties in Fujian Province. Xiapu's unique marine environment is home to over 1,000 types of seafood, allowing everyone there to have a different dish every day for three years, hence renowned as the "Land of Thousand Sea Delicacies". Nowadays, Xiapu is facing new, unprecedented opportunities and fostering new, thriving industries. In the future, the county will make the most of the 144-hour visa-free transit policy and host more cultural tourism events for visitors outside China, in the hope that more and more foreigners would fall in love with Xiapu and entire China.

Bishnu P. Shrestha, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal to China, commented that the marine resources and food culture of Xiapu are impressive. He continued that there is great potential for Nepal and the county to work together on tourism, and hoped that in the future, the both sides can share tourism resources and launch joint promotions to boost the economy in Nepal and the county and yield mutually beneficial and win-win results.

Ali Nemati, Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in China, told CRI Online that although he had never been to Fujian, he had seen the gorgeous scenery of Xiapu through this event. He said: "The seafood in Xiapu is really tasty, and the local culture is also pretty cool." He thinks there is a promising prospect for the growth of the tourism sector in Xiapu.

(Source: CRI Online of China Media Group)