The 2024 Beijing International Food Festival · 2nd  Silk Road Food Culture Festival, hosted by the Beijing International Peace Culture Foundation and the Beijing Cuisine Association, with the participation of more than 30 ambassadors from various countries and food brands from multiple countries, kicked off on July 3rd with the theme of "Enjoy Silk Road Cuisine in Beijing together". This year, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce and nine other departments jointly issued the Action Plan to Promote the High Quality Development of Beijing's Catering Industry and Accelerate the Construction of an International Food Capital. The plan highlights international leadership, prioritizes quality, and is inclusive, focusing on accelerating the introduction of branded catering enterprises, creating an international food capital that gathers global flavors, and better meeting the needs of the people for high-quality, distinctive, diversified, and convenient catering consumption. The Food Culture Festival announced the first batch of 12 "Silk Road Cuisine · Recommended Dishes" and "Silk Road Cuisine · Recommended Restaurants" on site; with 22 ambassadors invited to promote the Silk Road cuisine culture. The Chinese and foreign guests are meeting to shared their wonderful experiences on the integration and innovation of Silk Road cuisine, as well as the unique culinary culture of their respective countries.

Dr. Li Ruohong, President of the Beijing International Peace Culture Foundation, said in his speech that Halal cuisine is a necessity for the people along the Silk Road trade and cultural exchanges , and an important component for the construction of Beijing as the international culinary capital , which carries profound national feelings and the connotation of solidarity&cooperation among Chinese home and abroad.. Last week, I was invited by UNESCO to represent Chinese NGOs in attending the ICESCO Silk Road Forum in the Kingdom of Morocco. After discussions with leaders of ICESCO, the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, and experts and scholars from various countries,guests from various countries look forward to the interaction between Chinese NGOs and the 57 countries of Islamic world  in multiple fields.

We can experience the diverse cultural charm of various countries through international food exchanges, and break through regional and language barriers.

As an official partner of UNESCO, the Foundation hopes to work together with everyone to sort out and improve standards, models, channels, and service systems, innovate cooperation in the domestic and international food industry chain, to promote the integration of food culture with museums and cultural tourism industries, and contributing to world peace and civil diplomacy in the capital city of Beijing.

Representatives of Beijing catering enterprises and international enterprises reached cooperation intentions at this Silk Road Food Culture Festival. At the same time, the special products from more than 20 countries along the Silk Road were exhibited in the "Flash Silk Road Food Market ",showcasing the charm of cultural interaction in international cuisine from multiple perspectives.

With the support and promotion of the cultural interaction of the " Silk Road" from all walks of life, consumers have become more and more aware of the "Silk Road Food". According to the data of Meituan and the public comments, in the first half of 2024, the number of active searches for keywords related to the "Silk Road" in Beijing have exceeded 2.5 million, with a year-on-year growth of 791.5%, which is favored by users aged 30 to 35.

At the Silk Road Food  Flash Market, more than 100 kinds of spices, porcelain, tea, drinks, meat products, etc. from China, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Georgia and other countries turned on their appearances. These distinctive products spread the friendship warmth around the world through the "Silk Road". We all look forward to more and newer opportunities for the cooperation and development of the Silk Road food culture and the food culture of the countries and regions jointly constructing the "Silk Road".