The first International Mountain Food Festival opened in Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province, on June 28, promoting local foods to increase local incomes. 

The first International Mountain Food Festival opens in the Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture on June 28. [Photo/ldqxn.com]

The food festival will run until June 30 in five venues, including the main venue in Xingyi and four others in Xingren county, Anlong county, Zhenfeng county and Qinglong county. More than 260 catering companies and 800 exhibitors are participating in the festival. 

With comfortable weather all year round, Qianxinan is famous for producing tasty foods such as spiced chicken, glutinous rice cakes, rice noodles with mutton and beef and cold bean jelly.

Located in a remote and mountainous region, Qianxinan was recognized as a poverty-stricken area by the China Hospitality Association in 2016. To increase local incomes, the association has been helping to promote Qianxinan brands of rice noodles around the country. 

The association has trained local people and set standards for traditional rice noodle preparation made with local healthy and high quality agricultural products. All the industries involved have created about 600,000 jobs for poor families in Qianxinan. 

Han Ming, chairman of the China Hospitality Association, said, "Qianxinan is rich in food and tourism resources, and the food festival will serve as a platform to attract more visitors to the region and lift the local people out of poverty." 

Qianxinan aims to become a permanent host for the International Mountain Food Festival.

The opening ceremony of the first International Mountain Food Festival is held in in Xingyi, Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, on June 28. [Photo/ldqxn.com]

Locals perform an ethnic folk dance at the opening ceremony of the first International Mountain Food Festival in Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture on June 28. [Photo/ldqxn.com]