From the steamed rice cakes of Jinhua, Zhejiang province, to the intricately sculpted huamo buns from Wenxi county, Shanxi province, visitors can try foods from across the country. Together, they reflect China's abundant food resources and the development of culinary customs according to the region and the season.
Zhang Beiyuan, a sixth-generation huamo artist from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, brings his works to the exhibition not only to dazzle visitors but also to innovate. In his 30s, Zhang experiments with different shapes. Some of his designs abandon the traditional pyramid shape in favor of cubes, which can be mistaken for cream cakes at first glance. He has also adopted a comic approach when sculpting animals and figures, reflecting the deepening culture of animation, comics and games embraced by China's young people.
"Cultural heritage should not become something outdated," he says. "It lives in the moment and will live in the future, but only as long as it continues to capture the hearts of the younger generation."
