On June 10, the 2025 ASEAN Customs Day in the Capital of Overseas Chinese (Jiangmen) was held. It attracted representatives from the Consulates General of ASEAN countries in Guangzhou, the catering industry of ASEAN countries, and overseas Chinese from ASEAN countries.
They visited the industrial park and food companies, enjoying local culinary culture and experiencing the vibrant momentum of Guangdong's high-quality development and the vitality of China's high-level opening-up.
This year marks the second consecutive year that Jiangmen has held cultural exchange activities with ASEAN countries, with food serving as a bridge to boost trade and cultural exchanges.
The delegation enjoys local cuisine.
In Pengjiang Industrial Park, the delegation gained a detailed understanding of Jiangmen's industrial base, industry spatial layout, business environment, and more. "The event is great, serving as a window to promote cultural exchange. We not only enjoyed a feast of food but also gained a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and Lingnan culture, bringing the people of the two countries closer," said Vorakan Chobpattana, the Consul of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Guangzhou.
The Southeast Asian food exchange event.
For Aprilfleur S. Galima-Mejia, the Consul of the Consulate General of the Philippines in Guangzhou, this is her fifth visit to Jiangmen. "Jiangmen impresses me every time I visit, especially the delicious food; the cuisines here are widely favored in the Philippines," she said.
Melissa Goh, the Deputy Consul of the Consulate General of Singapore in Guangzhou, pointed out that Singapore attaches great importance to food safety and quality, and the health food industry in Jiangmen is developing rapidly. "We hope to closely cooperate with Jiangmen in the food field to promote the coordinated development of the food industry in both places," said Melissa Goh.
"Using dried tangerine peel as an ingredient in cooking is very nice, bringing a unique taste. I hope that these Chinese dishes can be further promoted in the Philippines," shared Philippine national chef Hernan Christian A.De Jesus.
Jiangmen is a well-known hometown of overseas Chinese. Over 300,000 Jiangmen-born overseas Chinese reside in ASEAN countries and have made significant contributions to bilateral relations. They have brought Jiangmen's culinary culture to ASEAN countries and also brought local specialties from ASEAN countries back to Jiangmen.
Reporter: Zhang Jingyuan
Photo: Yang Xingle
Editor: Wei Shen, James, Shen He
