On the morning of 12 July, the pre-event briefing for the 2025 Quanzhou Beef and Quanzhou Ginger Duck Culinary Skills Competition was held at the Quanzhou Evening News Building. Both Quanzhou Ginger Duck and Quanzhou Beef are among the city's most iconic gastronomic brands. The competition aims to integrate traditional culinary culture with contemporary development needs, in line with the growing synergy between Quanzhou's cultural tourism and food service industries. Since its launch, the event has drawn enthusiastic industry participation, with more than 100 local businesses signing up. The preliminary round and the finals will take place at the Quanzhou Hotel on 24 and 25 July.

　　The organising committee invited veteran Chinese Master Chef Cheng Zhenfang, Song Shuanghong, Marketing Director at Meituan's Beijing headquarters, Liao Chenyi, Head of Douyin's Quanzhou operations, as well as representatives from the guiding and hosting organisations, and from Meituan and Douyin platforms, to brief participants on competition rules and provide guidance. The lively exchange boosted participants' understanding of the rules and strengthened their confidence.

　　Competitions as Catalysts for Growth

　　Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Master Chef Cheng pledged to strictly follow the committee's arrangements, adhere to the rules and judging discipline, respect every contestant, and ensure the competition is fair, just, and transparent. He noted that the event responds to municipal directives to strengthen the Quanzhou Beef and Ginger Duck industries. The organising committee hopes to use the competition as a springboard to enhance these culinary specialities into stronger signature industries, meet growing consumer demand for quality food experiences, and promote integrated development across the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the food industry.

　　According to relevant officials, the city will leverage Quanzhou's rich culinary heritage and follow a strategy of "brand leadership, full-chain upgrades, and city-wide expansion" to develop complete industrial ecosystems for Quanzhou Beef and Ginger Duck. This includes the annual selection of "Quanzhou Famous Food Restaurants," providing incentives for standardised upgrades, and organising competitions for speciality food souvenirs. Efforts are also underway to register "Quanzhou Ginger Duck" and "Quanzhou Beef" as geographical indications, with accompanying usage guidelines. The city will also encourage culinary masters in these fields to apply for titles such as "Quanzhou Skills Master" and "Skills Master Studio," to advance innovation and heritage preservation.

　　Meituan's representative introduced detailed competition rules and platform support policies, covering registration, check-in, and scoring systems. Douyin's representative announced that contestants joining its group-buy programme and posting related videos would receive local promotional boosts and financial support.

　　Rich Programme to Boost Cultural and Tourism Integration

　　The 2025 competition will feature both culinary contests and marketing challenges, encouraging Quanzhou chefs to share and improve their skills in preparing signature dishes such as Quanzhou beef soup, beef steak, and ginger duck. By incorporating innovative marketing approaches, the event will promote the Quanzhou cuisine brand and expand sales channels. The contest will follow a "preliminary + final" format, with the awards ceremony taking place during the Silk Road Culinary Development Conference. Winners will also be showcased at the 2025 Quanzhou Maritime Silk Road International Food Festival.

　　Awards include five Grand Gold and ten Gold prizes each for the Quanzhou Ginger Duck Culinary Skills Competition and the Quanzhou Beef Culinary Skills Competition (beef steak and beef soup categories). Marketing skills contests for both dishes will also award top prizes. Select winners will be invited to present at major food festivals, demonstrating their cooking techniques and offering tastings to promote Quanzhou's culinary culture.

　　The organisers emphasised that this competition is not only a showcase of skills but also an important platform to deepen the cultural value of local cuisine and upgrade the related industries. With strong business participation, the event will harness the appeal of Quanzhou Beef and Ginger Duck to create jobs, increase incomes, and strengthen the city's cultural influence.

　　The event is guided by the Quanzhou Office for the "City of Gastronomy" application, the Quanzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Quanzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, Quanzhou Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, and the Licheng District People's Government. It is jointly organised by Quanzhou Cultural Tourism Development Group, Licheng District Bureau of Commerce, and Quanzhou Culinary Industry Promotion Association, with support from the Quanzhou Gastronomy Economy Research Base, and hosted by Quanzhou Evening News and Quanzhou Hotel Co., Ltd.

　　By Chen Yunqing and Huang Siyu | Text & Photos