Beijing Women's Federation

Ahead of the International Day of Families, which falls on May 15, Beijing Women's Federation (BWF), Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges (Beijing NGO) and Beijing Cuisine Association jointly held an online dialogue on Chinese cuisine and harmonious families on May 13 to share family affection and promote people-to-people exchange. Some 100 people, including friends from Nepal, Japan, Mauritius, Tunisia and Greece, foreign experts and overseas students in Beijing and representatives of member units of Beijing NGO, participated in the activity.

Participants from home and abroad take part in an online dialogue to mark the International Day of Families.

Dai Jianjun, Vice-President of Beijing NGO, said that many foreigners were deeply impressed by both the competitions and Chinese cuisine during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics concluded in February. Dai introduced several dishes that enjoyed great popularity among foreigners at the Beijing 2022, hoping to convey goodwill through food and promote family happiness among Chinese and foreign people. Li Yue, Director of the Beijing Women's International Center, presided over the event. Noting that the BWF has sponsored a series of international activities to promote exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese families and their foreign counterparts in commemoration of the annual International Day of Families, she said cuisine has become an important carrier to strengthen communication and family affection, bridge different cultures, make delicious tastes and a harmonious atmosphere felt by more people, and consolidate the friendship between people from different countries.

Several Chinese attendees greet foreign participants via video link during the online dialogue.

Yun Cheng, President of the Beijing Cuisine Association, said that the organization will continue to leverage its advantages to promote people-to-people exchanges.

Liu Jianmin, a veteran chef and national cuisine judge, talked with attendees about the culture of Chinese cuisine and the features of Chinese food in different regions.

Tang Xipeng, a veteran chef and winner of the China Golden Chef Award, produced videos to demonstrate the making of three Chinese dishes, explained the cultural connotations behind them, and talked about how to prepare them.

The chefs also interacted with the participants online. Harish Chandra Shah, President of the Nepal-China Cultural and Educational Council, is very keen on traditional Chinese culture and Chinese cuisine. He said everyone in his family is interested in making Chinese food and that they will try to cook the dishes that they have learned during the activity.