Fujian feast draws tourists as regional cuisine gains popularity

Photo shows stir-fried rice noodles, a specialty dish in Hutou township, Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)

The Prime Minister's Family Banquet, a famous 16-dish feast from southeast China's Fujian Province, emphasizes both flavor and frugality, according to Li Ruirong, who carries on the tradition.

Li is a 12th-generation descendant of Li Guangdi, a grand scholar at the Pavilion of Literary Profundity during Emperor Kangxi's reign (1661-1722) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"The key ingredient for this table of dishes is the seemingly plain rice noodles," said Li, emphasizing the banquet rice noodles as a main ingredient instead of pricey items like bird's nests, highlighting the virtue of simplicity.

Photo shows a specialty dish of the Prime Minister's Family Banquet in Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Lanyan)

The Prime Minister's Family Banquet’s brand power and popularity continue to grow, attracting tourists to Anxi county.

Photo shows a dish of the Prime Minister's Family Banquet in Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)

Hutou township was a major center for trade and transport during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), leading to the rapid development of local culinary culture.

The township now has 130 unique snacks, including the famous Hutou rice noodles, which are popular among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.

Li acknowledged that the Hutou rice noodle industry still has room for growth and aspires to strengthen the brand, engage more people, and expand the industry's reach to captivate a global audience.

Photo shows a dish of the Prime Minister's Family Banquet in Anxi county, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)

The Prime Minister's Family Banquet was recently named a Cuisine of Geographical Indication in China.

An official from the Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce said the province will continue exploring the deep history and culture of local food, promote well-known food brands, and allow more people to enjoy the great tastes of Fujian cuisine.

Fujian plans to increase the number of large catering enterprises to over 2,000 by 2025, with the catering industry's annual revenue surpassing 300 billion yuan ($41 billion).