Qingdao Daily / Guanhai News, Dec. 24 — The "Qi-Style, Lu-Charm: Shandong Cuisine Championship" is set to take place at the Qingdao International Convention and Exhibition Center from December 26 to 28. As the grand finale of the 2025 "Hospitable Shandong · Gourmet Contest," the event will see top culinary teams from 16 cities across the province compete for the highest honors in Shandong cuisine, offering a feast for the senses. This event will also launch a new winter cultural tourism experience themed "Savoring Lu Cuisine, Shopping for New Year Goods, and Touring Qingdao."
As the concluding event of the "Hospitable Shandong · Gourmet Contest," this championship is guided by organizations including the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and is co-hosted by the Shandong Boutique Tourism Promotion Association and multiple departments in Qingdao. It is organized by entities such as Qingdao Conson Group, with support from numerous enterprises including China UnionPay and Qingdao Tourism Group. The competition features an innovative three-tier elimination system: preliminaries, quarterfinals, and finals. Talented teams from 16 cities in Shandong will engage in head-to-head competitions to vie for the highest honor in the world of Shandong cuisine this year. The contest will highlight the unique characteristics of Lu Cuisine, such as Seafood Lu Cuisine and Intangible Cultural Heritage Lu Cuisine. Each dish will undergo a comprehensive evaluation by expert judges, public judges, and online voting, assessing everything from presentation and taste to innovation and health concepts, aiming to discover the new charm and identity of Shandong Cuisine.
Beyond the intense culinary competition, a series of supporting activities themed "Two Markets, One Banquet, One Workshop, and One Performance" will energize the venue. The Cultural Tourism Boutique Market and the Shandong New Year Goods Fair will open simultaneously, gathering over 100 premium Qingdao merchants and specialty booths from various regions, offering a one-stop-shop for intangible cultural heritage foods, popular agricultural products, and creative cultural items. At the Shandong Urban Culture Banquet, the historical legends, folk customs, local products, and exquisite cooking techniques of the 16 cities' Lu Cuisine will intertwine, allowing guests from all over to experience the local culture and legacy of craftsmanship of Shandong. The "Warm Winter" Public Tasting Workshop will offer sessions on making dishes like Seafood Dough Drop Soup, where visitors can learn skills, taste delicious food, and receive heartwarming coupons. An ancient-style parade, "Dreaming of the Vast Sea," and interactive check-ins with Qingdao's cultural tourism mascot team will add an immersive and fun dimension to the exhibition experience.
From summer to autumn, the "Hospitable Shandong · Gourmet Contest," held across the Land of Qi and Lu, has continuously fueled the popularity of Shandong's culinary delights. To ensure this gastronomic event in Qingdao breaks out of its niche, a youth-oriented, full-cycle publicity matrix has been created. Celebrities like Huang Bo, Huang Xiaoming, and Chen Meng have used short videos to cheer for their hometown's cuisine. Trending memes, such as "16 cities compete, but Qingdao is 'destined' to win," have gone viral through AI animations and cartoon graphics. The entire competition will be live-streamed via both video and photo channels, with mainstream media and internet influencers providing real-time coverage, empowering citizens and tourists to easily create their own viral short videos. The finals will even feature a "Meme Culture Clash" segment, where netizens will vote for "the most engaging meme," spreading Lu Cuisine culture amidst laughter and joy.
Notably, the event deeply integrates cultural tourism and consumption. Participants can enjoy exclusive discounts at over 400 businesses in Qingdao's "Ticket Stub Economy Alliance" by presenting their credentials, while participating enterprises can leverage the alliance's platform to broaden their promotional channels. Concurrently, "'Lu Cuisine + Cultural Tourism' consumption packages" will be launched, connecting winter-specific attractions like coastal scenery, hot spring resorts, and intangible cultural heritage experiences. These are complemented by lottery prizes such as performance tickets, cruise vouchers, and food gift packages, making "Savoring Lu Cuisine and Touring Qingdao" the trendy choice this winter.
At the turn of the year, this grand cultural-tourism-food festival, which combines competition, exhibition, experience, and communication, is not only a platform for the inheritance and innovation of Lu Cuisine culture but will also unleash new potential for winter consumption in Qingdao. As a national model city for cultural and tourism consumption, Qingdao is using Lu Cuisine as a medium, transforming its unique culinary offerings into a major urban attraction, thereby heating up the winter tourism market and delivering a year-end carnival that is flavorful, warm, and fun for both citizens and visitors.
Dear citizens and tourists, bring your family, invite your friends, and come to Hall 7 of the Qingdao International Convention and Exhibition Center at 2:30 PM on December 26. Come watch a spectacular culinary championship, and browse a New Year Goods Fair filled with festive cheer. Let’s make this winter lively and fulfilling! (By Ma Xiaoting, Qingdao Daily / Guanhai News)
Editor: Yuan Ruichen
