On May 15, 2015, Press Conference of “ Silk Road Cuisine Display---Yangzhou Week” was held in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Beijing. The press conference was co-hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association(CPDA) , the Embassy of Italy in China and the People’s Government of Yangzhou, Jiangsu. More than 200 participants from relative ministries and commissions, the CPDA, the Embassy of Italy in China, Municipal Party Committee of Yangzhou, the People’s Government of Yangzhou, the Public Diplomacy Association of Yangzhou as well as medias from home and aboard attended the conference.

　　Through Sept. 11 to 15, 2015, the “Silk Road Cuisine Display—Yangzhou Week” will be co-hosted by the CPDA, the Embassy of Italy in China, the People’s Government of Yangzhou as well as Italian Consulate in Shanghai, with great supports from the Silk Road Cities Alliance and the Beijing Intercity Tourism Culture Development Co. Ltd. Marking Yangzhou as a starting point, this event aims at exploring culture elements, strengthening knowledge accumulation along the silk road, boosting economic development and building a solid foundation for “One Belt, One Road ” countries to cooperate with and benefit from each other so as to create a win-win situation. Seizing the developmental opportunities and coordinating with “One Belt One Road” strategy, the Yangzhou City will make full use of roots between Marco Polo and Yangzhou, with Yangzhou and Italy Cuisines as intermediary, through people-to- people communication, strengthen diversified exchanges and cooperation with countries and cities along the silk road, celebrate the 2500th birthday of Yangzhou City, so as to improve Yangzhou’s worldwide popularity and influence, driving the development of cuisines, tourism, culture and other relative fields, writing a beautiful Yangzhou Chapter of the China Dream.

　　Mr. Ma Zhenggang, the Vice President of the CPDA, addressed that seeing the humanistic value of the Yangzhou Cuisine , the CPDA and the Embassy of Italy reached agreements on co-hosting “Silk Road Cuisine Display---Yangzhou Week” in Yangzhou, a city of characteristic cuisines and profound cultures, during which we will share delicious foods with friends from silk road countries. History and culture keep us exciting all the time, and that is exactly why we will co-hosted this event with the Embassy of Italy, showing our attachments to history, our common interests to cuisines as well as our sincere desires of a long-term relationship. I wish “Yangzhou Week” a great success.

　　According to the Mayor of Yangzhou, the cuisine is unique culture card of the city. Speaking of Yangzhou cuisine, people will always come up with a name “Yangzhou Fried Rice” , famous in Chinese restaurants all over the world. What is more is that Yangzhou is the birth place of Huaiyang Cuisine, which is one of the four major Chinese cuisines. It represents characters of traditional Chinese cuisines, staring at the Spring and Autumn Period, thriving at the Sui and Tang Dynasties and flourishing at the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In china, Huaiyang Cuisine plays a significant role in several historical events---- In 1949, Huaiyang Cuisine was chosen to be the first State Banquet of the People’s Republic of China. Afterwards, the state banquet further developed on the basis of Huaiyang Cuisine combined with other cuisines. Huaiyang Cuisine thrives as one of the four major Chinese cuisines is mainly for its characters of preserving traditional crafts while learning from others and keeping innovating. I believe, the success of “Silk Road Cuisine Display---Yangzhou Week” will strengthen the exchanges and cooperation between Yangzhou and Silk Road Cites as well as raise the worldwide popularity of Yangzhou to a new height.