中国·福州——热爱城市从热爱美食开始

Citizens visit the “Cross-Strait Daily Life” market. (Photo by Reporter Zhang Tieguo)

During the Spring Festival holiday this year, the “Cross-Strait Daily Life” market at Guanglu Yintai in Sanfang Qixiang, Fuzhou was bustling with a wide variety of delicious food from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. It attracted many locals and tourists who eagerly immersed themselves in the lively atmosphere and enjoyed the tasty treats on offer. Recently, at the “Cross-Strait Daily Life” Spring Tea Gathering in Fuzhou, organized by the Fuzhou Snack Association and the Cross-Strait Snack Industry Integration and Development Committee of the Cross-Strait Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association under the guidance of the Cross-Strait Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association, food experts and industry professionals from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered over tea to share their insights on boosting brand influence, fostering the integration of cross-strait food, and creating new platforms for cultural exchange.

A gathering of cross-strait food

Ye Xudong, Director of the Cross-Strait Snack Industry Integration and Development Committee of the Cross-Strait Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association

The brand “Cross-Strait Daily Life” was established by the Cross-Strait Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association in Fuzhou at the end of last year. It focuses on creating food streets and organizing cultural exchange activities centered around food, aiming to promote mutual understanding and emotional connection between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, allowing them to experience the charm of Chinese culture and strengthen cultural identity. The platform is dedicated to creating a unique culinary experience with local characteristics, providing a variety of services like market promotion, brand building, and supply chain support to help Taiwanese businesses enter and thrive in the mainland market. In the future, when hosting events in various locations, in addition to Fuzhou snacks, we will also deeply integrate Taiwanese elements with local culture. Besides, we will set up dedicated exhibition areas for both Taiwanese and regional specialties, ensuring that each represents 20% of the offerings. Our aim is to make “Cross-Strait Daily Life” a unique street market that showcases the characteristics of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. We have signed a brand co-construction agreement for “Cross-Strait Daily Life” with the Chinese Food Development and Exchange Association of Taizhong City, Taiwan. Additionally, we have awarded Craftsmanship & Craftsman and Cross-Strait Integration Volunteer certificates to six participating vendors, aiming to further promote the solid development of “Cross-Strait Daily Life.”

Zeng Zhiying, Tourist from Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province

During the Spring Festival holiday, my friends and I visited the “Cross-Strait Daily Life” market at Sanfang Qixiang. The market was filled with a diverse selection of food, from Taiwanese dorayaki and oyster omelets to authentic Fuzhou fish balls and jasmine tea. There were also spicy Shangrao grilled chicken legs, Changsha stinky tofu, and many other delicious treats. The collection of cross-strait delicacies here gave us a chance to indulge in a sensory feast, expanding our horizons and enhancing our understanding of Taiwanese cuisine. It also allowed us to better appreciate the deep cultural heritage and unique charm of traditional Chinese food.

A new platform for cultural exchanges

Dong Zhengwei, President of the Fuzhou Snack Association, Chairman of Fuzhou Dadao Catering Co., Ltd.

Fujian and Taiwanese culinary cultures are deeply intertwined. Fuzhou fish balls closely resemble Taiwan’s meatballs, while jasmine tea from Fuzhou and high-mountain tea from Taiwan complement each other perfectly in flavor. Fuzhou specialties like pork wontons, noodles served with soy sauce, wontons, yuanxiao, and beef paste all showcase the deep connections between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. These shared flavors and rich cultural traditions form a strong bond, connecting the people from both sides. Fuzhou snacks, with over 300 varieties, are a distinctive feature of the local culinary culture. With more than 100,000 people involved, this industry has become a key part of Fuzhou’s economy and cultural identity. We will explore the rich cultural significance of Fuzhou’s specialty snacks, actively strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan’s culinary community, and organize various food culture events to further build a bridge for communication across the Taiwan Strait and promote the innovative development of cross-strait food.

Yang Zhongming, Chief Executive Officer of the Chinese Food Development and Exchange Association in Taizhong City, Taiwan

I am honored to join the newly established Cross-Strait Snack Workers Alliance. I will work with Taiwanese culinary professionals to make Taiwanese cuisine as colorful and dazzling as the fireworks during the Spring Festival. We will strive to make it not only visually appealing but also delicious, ensuring that Chinese food culture shines brightly across the Taiwan Strait and around the world. Through the brand “Cross-Strait Daily Life,” we will continue to foster emotional connections between the people on both sides and promote peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait, using food as a bridge.

A big industry for common development

Huang Xiangtai, Executive Director of the China Peaceful Development and Exchange Association and Executive Director of Xintaijia Technology Development (Fujian) Co., Ltd.:

“Cross-Strait Daily Life” is an excellent platform for promoting Chinese food culture and fostering cultural exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. I spent over 20 years in Shanghai, focusing on entrepreneurship and investment, before relocating to the Fuzhou New Area last year. I suggest focusing on four key areas to continuously strengthen the influence of the brand “Cross-Strait Daily Life.” First, align with the needs of local market. Since the tastes and spending power of people across different regions of mainland China vary, Taiwanese vendors should tailor their offerings to local preferences and set reasonable prices during food events. This will help improve customer experience and increase repeat purchases. Second, choose a proper location. The “Cross-Strait Daily Life” market, held in the lively Sanfang Qixiang, is an excellent example. It’s essential to learn from this experience and use it as a reference for future events. Third, hold a food competition. Whenever an event is hosted in a new location, a food competition could be introduced to boost the enthusiasm of participating vendors and increase local engagement, which in turn would enhance the event’s visibility and influence. Fourth, strengthen the system management. Take food events as an opportunity to actively connect with the capital market and comprehensively enhance brand operation, marketing, and supply chain management. This will not only increase the business revenue of participating vendors but also boost local tourism, economic development, and social progress.

Xie Baotian, Associate Professor from the College of Tourism and Leisure Management at Fujian Business University

Food is more than just a taste; it’s a bond of emotions, a witness to history, and a means of cultural inheritance. Fujian and Taiwan are closely linked, not only by geography but also by shared heritage, and cross-strait snacks are the most vivid embodiment of this deep-rooted bond. Fuzhou is home to a wide variety of snacks that showcase the region’s unique customs and traditions, while also reflecting the long history and rich culinary heritage of the Chinese nation. Many of Taiwan’s traditional dishes trace their roots back to Fuzhou, highlighting the strong culinary connections between the two sides of the strait. This similarity not only reflects the shared cultural roots of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait but also builds a natural bridge for cross-strait cultural exchange. Snacks may seem “small,” but they represent a big industry. Fujian snacks are making their mark on the global stage. As consumers’ expectations for food continue to rise, we must innovate cross-strait snacks while preserving tradition in order to meet the diverse tastes of people. We should systematically explore and make clear the historical context of Fujian and Taiwan snacks, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation with cultural consensus. We should build industrial platforms to promote technological exchange, brand cooperation, and standardization efforts, such as improving the cross-strait snack ingredient supply chain and jointly establishing certification standards for “Fujian and Taiwan Snacks.” We should innovate promotional methods and use short videos, documentaries, and social media platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin, to tell the “common story” of cross-strait snacks to the world. We should nurture the younger generation, strengthen cooperation between schools and businesses, and collaboratively train a new generation of chefs and technical talents, passing on and enhancing the essence of Chinese cuisine. Moreover, we should enrich the cultural content, take food exchanges as an opportunity to promote two-way cultural exchanges, such as folk arts, local operas, and traditional customs, to further enhance the ethnic, cultural, and national identity among Taiwan compatriots.

(Fuzhou Daily Reporter: Zhang Tieguo)