Spicing up Chengdu's calling card to the world

Sichuan cuisine has earned the city international acclaim.

Sichuan cuisine, renowned as one of China's eight great regional culinary fares, is enhancing Chengdu's international profile as the city continues its stride toward more openness.

Sichuan cuisine, which was developed as early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), began flourishing during the the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and is celebrated in the works of venerated ancient Chinese poets Du Fu and Lu You. In recognition of that history, in 2010, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named Chengdu a "City of Gastronomy", making the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province the first city in Asia to be accorded that honor.