Chengdu Cuisine Culture Festival opens in San Francisco

The 2017 Chengdu Cuisine Culture Festival was launched in the San Francisco Bay Area on October 31.

“The people of San Francisco and Chengdu share many cultural similarities, including a deep appreciation for great food,” said Edwin Lee, mayor of San Francisco. “We are excited to continue and expand our success from last year in promoting Sichuan cuisine. Food is a universal language that helps bond people from different places together.”

The 2016 Chengdu Food and Cultural Festival kicked off on November 10 last year in San Francisco with great success.

This year's gala will feature authentic Chengdu cuisine, special brews, dancers, opera performances and other visiting artists from Chengdu. Foodies in San Francisco will get the chance to taste the authentic food of Chengdu, one of the best culinary destinations in China.

Acclaimed chefs from Chengdu will partner with local restaurants to showcase Sichuan cuisine in the Bay Area during the two-week festival.

Before the event, Chengdu has sent 300 clay panda statues to the San Francisco Unified School District. Students from five elementary schools there have decorated the pandas, which are native to Sichuan Province in China.