Participants learn to make Xiaolongbao, or steamed soup dumplings, during the Shanghai Food Festival and Tourism Promotion at Macy's flagship store in New York, the United States, Nov 19, 2018.Themed "Eat, Love, Shanghai", the three-day event kicked off here on Monday, aiming to attract more American tourists to Shanghai by introducing its unique culinary culture. [Photo/Xinhua]

The activity was co-sponsored by Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, Macy's, Marriott International, China Eastern Airlines, American Airlines, and Shanghai Spring Tour Company.

"It's wonderful that we're partnering with Shanghai to offer this global cross-cultural connection to let people come and experience all of the best of Shanghai," said Keri Hanson, director of international tourism marketing at Macy's.

"People in New York and Shanghai have so much in common love of food, art, culture and fashion, so it's a natural connection to have both cities cooperative partners," she added.

"Great food is always an integral part of a city' s charm as tastes and flavors define its character. The event is part of our overall effort to expand tourism among New Yorkers and we hope to introduce more in-depth tour products and experiences to encourage more US tourists to visit Shanghai and stay longer," Wang Jing, deputy division chief of public service department from Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, told Xinhua.