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Explore the Chinese Cuisine
Beijing - imperial cuisine, quintessential Chinese dishes (e.g. Peking Duck) and fusion cuisine
Shanghai - Shanghai cuisine which incorporates the cooking styles of the surrounding provinces Hangzhou - Zhejiang cuisine Chengdu - Sichuan cuisine Savour the Local Flavour
Local food market stroll
Food walks for local snacks Tea excursion |
China covers a large territory. The different geography, climate, resources, produce and food habits are combined to form characteristic local cuisines, namely, the "eight regional cuisines", each of which boasts its distinctive way of cooking and unique taste. We have selected four cities to be the gourmet destination. Each features distinguishing culinary styles and food habits.
Beijing
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Beijing is the capital city of China. With a history of more than 3,000 years and being the capital of China for about 850 years, Beijing offers China's most wonderful array of attractions, including the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen square, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall.
Since Beijing has been the Chinese capital for centuries, its cuisine has been influenced by culinary traditions from all over China. The greatest influence on Beijing cuisine is the cuisine of the eastern coastal province of Shandong. Another Chinese cuisine that influenced Beijing cuisine (as well as influenced by Beijing cuisine itself) was the Chinese Imperial cuisine that originated from "The Emperor's Kitchen". Beijing is a city where tradition and innovation sit side by side, and where quintessential Chinese dishes are being showcased with a new culinary confidence. Culinary focused: Hutong food walking tour: taste the way through the hutongs (ancient Beijing alleyways) for a celebration of Chinese food, from Hakka home-cooking to imperial Beijing custard. Special dining experience: imperial cuisine, refined traditional Beijing dishes Food talks: dinners in traditional Beijing restaurants (including specialty Peking Duck houses) with dining hosts talking through the Chinese food history and it's place today in popular culture. Beijing breakfast tasting and farmers market stroll Cooking classes: professional or home-style |
Culture and history interests:
A-day tour to Great Wall Historical sites excursion: Forbidden City, Summer Palace, The Temple of Heaven, Yonghe Lama Temple Beijing live walking tour: Houhai, selected Hutong |
Chengdu
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Culinary focused:
Dining experience: Sichuan cuisine - famous traditional dishes of Chengdu and Sichuan Province, and food for health care Walking excursion with traditional snack tasting Sichuan Cuisine Museum: observing the preparation and cooking, and tasting the authentic Sichuan dishes Relaxing teahouse time Culture and history interests: Qingyang and Wenshu Temple Dujiangyan irrigation system Jinsha Excavation Site and Three-Star Piles Museum Sichuan Opera |
In Southwest China, surrounded by mountains, lies a fertile plain known as "The Land of Abundance", where sits Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. The name dates back to its founding over 2300 years ago and is kept till now. As a city with long history and rich culture, Chengdu has many interesting sites to walk around. There are the old Qingyang Tempel (a Taoist Temple) and Wenshu Temple (a Buddhist Monastery), which were originally built between 7-10th century. The historical and cultural relics exhibited in the Three-Star Piles Museum (Sanxingdui Museum) may bring you a feeling of passing through the time and space of the mysterious ancient kingdom 3000 years ago. And of course, not to miss is Dujiangyan - the oldest and only surviving no-dam irrigation system in the world Chengdu, benefited greatly from the region’s famed abundance, is absolutely a city of gourmet food and the capital of famous Sichuan cuisine. It is characterized by pungent, spicy seasonings known as "three peppers," "three aroma," "seven tastes" and "eight flavors." Hot chili and Sichuan pepper (flower pepper) are always in accompaniment, producing the typical exciting tastes. But not all Sichuan cuisine is spicy. In fact, only one third of Sichuan cuisine is spicy in nature. But it’s not just food. Chengdu is famous for its teahouses and a great teahouse culture that emphasizes relaxation and the art of storytelling. A lot happens in the teahouses of this city: business deals, passionate card and chess games, absolutely nothing but tea sipping and deep thinking for hours on end … Other interests: Panda Research Base |
Shanghai
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Culture and history interests: East meet West: walking tour around the area of Bund, former French Concession and Yu Garden New and Old: walking tour to IFC (International Financial Center), Xin Tian Di, Shikumen (Stone-framed doorways) |
Shanghai is a renowned international metropolis, situated on the estuary of Yangtze River. It serves as the most influential economic, financial, international trade, cultural, science and technology center in East China. Also it is a popular destination for visitors to sense the pulsating development of the country. In addition to its modernization, the city's multicultural flair endows it with a unique glamour. Here, one finds the perfect blend of cultures, the modern and the traditional , and the western and the oriental. New skyscrapers and old Shikumen together draw the skyline of Shanghai. Western customs and Chinese traditions intertwined and formed Shanghai's culture, making a visitor's stay truly memorable. Shanghai, being a relatively new city in China, does not really have a cuisine of its own, but successfully refines all the work of the surrounding provinces such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Through years of culinary practice and the assimilation of the art in other styles of cuisine, Shanghai chefs have also created a style of cuisine peculiar to the region. Shanghai dishes are usually characterized by the use of heavy and highly flavored sauce. Culinary focused: Street eats Special dining experience: refined traditional Shanghai dishes, Buddhism vegetarian food Shanghai dim sum breakfast Food market stroll |
Hangzhou
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Hangzhou, is located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River in southeast China, a superior position in the Yangtze Delta and only 180 kilometers from Shanghai. With enchanting natural beauty and abundant cultural heritages, Hangzhou is known as 'Heaven on Earth' and one of China's most important tourist venues. Hangzhou has been reputed as the City of Gourmet Food. It represents Zhejiang cuisine - one of the 8 major Chinese cuisines. It uses lees seasoning and stresses the cooking skills of stewing, braising, pot-roasting and so on. The cuisine features fresh ingredients, elaborate preparation, sophisticated cooking and natural flavor. It has many famous dishes like Braised Dongpo Pork, Steamed Grass Carp in Vinegar Gravy, Shrimp Meat with Dragon Well Tea，some of which already exists for over 1000 years. Culinary focused: Dining experience: Zhejiang cuisine, famous traditional dishes of Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province Traditional snacks tasting Tea safari: visit tea plantations in Longjing (Dragon Well) Village and learn about green tea making process; visit the Tea Museum, learn about and experience Chinese tea ceremony. |
Culture and history interests:
West Lake excursion Evening stroll in Zhongshan Road |
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Scheduled ToursGourmet food tasting
4 cities in15 days In spring or autumn Small group with 8-12 people |
Private JourneysTailor-made
Minimum 2 people Any time of the year Tell us what you want, we'll make it happen! |
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