Shawanbei Village in Panyu District, Guangzhou, has been recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as one of the first “Traditional Food Culture Villages” under its inaugural Villages Recognition Initiative, becoming the first village in Guangdong Province to receive the international honor.
The recognition highlights the village’s 800-year culinary heritage. Located in the historic core of Shawan Ancient Town, Shawanbei is home to 12 items of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) related to traditional food craftsmanship. Known as a “living museum” of Cantonese cuisine, it is also a popular culinary destination in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The village received the accreditation for its systematic preservation and promotion of traditional food culture. It operates a Cantonese chef training base and has more than 40 specialty restaurants, training more than 300 chefs, including nationally recognized inheritors of ICH culinary skills. Signature dishes include drip milk curd, ginger milk custard, double-skin milk custard, stuffed dace, and fish-skin dumplings, each linked to local history and folklore.
Shawanbei Village has also integrated food culture with rural tourism. As part of the national 4A-rated Shawan Ancient Town scenic area, it has developed food maps, gourmet passports, and themed sightseeing routes combining craft and cuisine, attracting more than three million tourist visits every year. Creative products such as brick-carving-shaped ice cream have been featured on China Central Television (CCTV).
The local economy has benefited directly. The “Cantonese Chef+” (粤菜师傅) industrial chain connects chef training, farm-to-table dining, and specialty product sales, generating more than 23 million yuan (about US$3.4 million) in annual sales of farm products.
Shawanbei Village is also a key hub in the “Ancient Charm Overlay” rural demonstration belt. Through cross-village partnerships, it shares chef training resources and supply chains with neighboring villages. In 2025, villages within the belt reported an average collective income of 37.22 million yuan (about US$5.4 million), while local villager-shareholders received annual dividends of 6,160 yuan (about US$909) per person.
“This FAO recognition comes with important responsibilities,” said Su Jingjing, Party secretary of Shawanbei Village. “We will continue to protect, pass on, and make good use of our traditional food culture, while cooperating with neighboring villages to pursue shared prosperity.”
The village has achieved 65% green coverage rate, 100% road paving, no food-safety incidents for years, and a 15-minute public service network.
The recognition positions Shawanbei Village as a Guangzhou model for rural revitalization, demonstrating how traditional food culture can drive modern rural development and gain global recognition.
Author | Jiang Chang
Photo | Nanfang Plus
Video | Guangzhou Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau