World Cities Day marked its 10th anniversary on Thursday, with five cities winning the Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award).
The five cities are Morocco's Agadir, India's Thiruvananthapuram, Qatar's Doha, Mexico's Iztapalapa, and Australia's Melbourne.
World Cities Day stemmed from the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, running under the theme "Better City, Better Life." Celebrated annually on Oct 31, the day promotes international urban dialogue.
This year, the World Cities Day's event was held under the theme "Youth Leading Climate and Local Action for Cities."
Shanghai hosted the main event alongside the Global Conference on Urban Sustainable Development. Events included the opening ceremony, an international urban architecture expo, and 16 community activities.
World Cities Day, now in its 10th year, is also a key platform for showcasing Shanghai and China's vision of modernization.
This year also marks the first international presentation of the Shanghai Award, which recognizes cities that excel in sustainable development.
World Cities Day marks 10th anniversary with Shanghai Award
Nearly 40 chefs from more than 10 cities in China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea gathered in Beijing for the 17th Asian culinary exchanges held from Oct 26 to 29.
The exquisite dishes they prepared were based not only on their supreme skills, but the unique cultures they have lived in. It was an ideal chance to promote regional friendship and ties, albeit with a little competitive edge.
"Very good. The speed and skills of each participant impressed me a lot, especially the team from Hong Kong. Their spirit of cooperation is worth learning from," said Chen Jinhua, general manager of Guangdong Jiangxin Catering Company.
"Really amazing. So many chefs from Asia came here, such as teams from Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. I've seen different cooking techniques for different ingredients. It's been a great day to be here," said Si Chuanyue, chef of Beijing Yan Restaurant.
Participating chefs were required to prepare two dishes in just 90 minutes.
"We used three different cooking methods and three different flavors to present them," said Mok Yau, executive chef of Chao Club.
"One of our two dishes is light and the other is a little bit strong. So when you eat it, eat the light one first and then the strong one, you will feel more comfortable," said Kelvin Lee, specialty chef of Hotel ICON.
The chefs' distinctive cooking techniques reflect the food habits of the cities they come from. Their methods and dishes are inseparable from the history and culture of those regions.
"I think Malaysia is very diverse, so we are like a sponge constantly absorbing the cultures of all ethnic groups, and then constantly communicating and integrating them into our food," said Michael Kek, a cook from Malaysia.
"From the food to the aesthetics of the whole booth, we must present them all in the context of culture. Therefore, highlighting our Nanhai cuisine is not just about the taste or look, it's also about smell, creating a holistic presentation," said Chen.
Experienced chefs from across Asia gather in Beijing for culinary exchanges
