The capitals of gastronomy of China and Europe respectively, Guangzhou and Lyon have been in a sister relationship for 30 years now. To mark this anniversary, a delegation from Lyon recently visited Guangzhou to further cooperation in fields of gastronomy, innovation and etc.
The Lyon delegation brought the Bocuse d'Or Asia Pacific 2018 to Guangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: HomeInFlowerCityGuangzhou]
The Lyon delegation said they saw new opportunities in various areas as the two cities share a great deal and have recently begun to face more common challenges, such as, city renewal, pollution and aging problems.
Newsgd.com interviewed the Lyon delegation during their visit:
Newsgd.com: Both Guangzhou and Lyon are famous for their cuisines. How do you connect Guangzhou and Lyon in this field?
Georges Képénékian: The Bocuse d'Or is considered to be the world’s most prestigious gastronomic competition. As an important organizer and participant, Lyon hopes to build a gastronomic network through this competition. And this year, we are bringing the Bocuse d'Or Asia Pacific to Guangzhou so that we can jointly brand our city images and connect with other cities worldwide.
Lyon’s traditional finger food created by a twice Michelin starred chef [PhotoNewsgd.com]
David Kimelfeld: Lyon and Guangzhou could seek inspiration from each other’s strengths. For example, Lyon has lots of iconic local food and our chefs respect the city’s history and tradition while keeping innovating. And I saw Guangzhou share this mix of tradition and innovation. I think this is the secret recipe of our cuisines.
Newsgd.com: How do you think Guangzhou and Lyon could cooperate in the field of innovative technology?
Karine Dognin Sauze: Much like Guangzhou, Lyon has been focusing on urban renewal in recent years and has seen huge changes in the city. We are both revitalizing old buildings and factories, which makes the innovation sector an important area for cooperation.
Furthermore, I see the two cities are both applying new technology to city planning as well. We will further our discussion of this issue during the trip and seek potential partners to get involved in digital and emerging technologies.
The Lyon delegation to Guangzhou[Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
In fact, Lyon and Guangzhou as well as Guangdong are already heavily involved in discussion and research of digital technology and artificial intelligence. For example, Guangdong-based Huawei has set up an R&D center in Lyon because of our university and research resources.
Apart from R&D, design will also be a significant area for cooperation. To help “Made-in-Guangzhou” products enter the European market, Lyon can provide advice in tailoring product design to the European tastes. That’s why we have representatives from the design sector in the delegation.
Reported by Jasmine Yin
Edited by Wing Zhang, Simon Haywood
