Waitresses serve Hangzhou Cuisine to reporters from home and abroad at a food festival recently held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A festival inviting reporters from home and abroad to enjoy Hangzhou's local food and cuisine was recently held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The festival, hosted by the commerce department of Hangzhou and the Hangzhou Daily Press Group, aimed to promote local culinary culture and boost the local catering industry.

The event is part of the annual China (Hangzhou) Food Festival, which has been every year since 2000.

Hangzhou has been making specific efforts to promote its cuisine in recent years. Since 2006, it has been holding food festivals in countries such as Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, Greece, Russia and Turkey.

The city also held an "Asian Food Festival" in May, which attracted 253 dining establishments from 56 countries and regions to showcase their food and interact with locals.

Hangzhou Cuisine is an important part of Zhejiang Cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines of China. It can be dated back to over 1,000 years ago.

A small pumpkin filled with stuffing, a popular dish in Hangzhou [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]