Hilton's annual culinary festival, the sixth season of Chef Month, began on Aug 1 with the theme "Local Characters". More than 270 restaurants across the group participated, offering dishes that emphasized regional ingredients and traditional cooking techniques.

In September, the program featured a special menu at Zijin Mansion, the Michelin one-star restaurant at Waldorf Astoria Beijing. Chef Wang Chunzeng presented a series of dishes that combined elements of Cantonese cuisine with the rustic traditions of his Hakka heritage.

Central to Wang's menu was the Hakka culinary practice of niang, or "stuffing and infusing". This technique reflects both the community's respect for seasonal produce and its resourceful approach to transforming simple ingredients into refined dishes.