The 29th Shaxian Snacks Tourism and Cultural Festival and 3rd Cross-Strait Gourmet Carnival kicked off on Dec 7 in Shaxian district, Sanming, Fujian province, featuring events such as a Shaxian snack industry development forum and a Cross-Strait culinary exhibition.

At the food exhibition, visitors encountered a wide array of local delicacies, from authentic Shaxian snacks such as shaomai (steamed dumplings), cured duck, and yugao (glutinous rice cake) to Taiwan specialties including salt crispy chicken and oyster omelets.

Huang Pinjie, a Taiwan participant visiting Shaxian for the first time, said his scallion meat rolls, which have been sold in Taiwan for more than a decade, drew positive feedback due to their fresh, baked-to-order taste, providing strong encouragement to local vendors.

Qiu Kaiming, vice chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, highlighted that cuisine serves as both a cultural carrier and an emotional link, representing a shared memory of flavors for people on both sides of the Strait.

Shaxian snacks have deep roots in Taiwan. Since 2010, events held in Taiwan, such as the Shaxian Snacks Taiwan Tour and the 2024 Min-Taiwan Snacks Exchange Carnival, have introduced tens of thousands of traditional Shaxian snacks to Taiwan. Recent policies from Fujian province further support Taiwan entrepreneurs in opening Shaxian snack stores and providing free professional training in culinary and technical skills.