A captivating 90-minute show featuring seven signature dishes from China's seven major regions, brought to life with immersive panoramic visuals and live performances
Showcasing Trip.com Group's commitment to culinary tourism and creative destination storytelling
SHANGHAI, Aug. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.com Group presents Taste of China, a bold multi-sensory dining show that blends fine cuisine with digital storytelling, cultural meaning and live performances.
Designed for travellers seeking deeper immersion beyond the usual landmarks, the show offers a unique entry point to discover China's rich heritage, reflecting the global travel service provider's strategic push to develop innovative, culturally rich tourism products, especially in the fast-growing cross-border travel market.
From left to right: Nourishing Hot Pot, Peking Duck, and Mapo Tofu
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"Innovation opens new horizons for travel, inviting travellers to connect with the world's destinations in richer and more meaningful ways", said Mr James Liang, Co-founder and Chairman of Trip.com Group. "Immersive new experiences like this show how personalisation, discovery, and interaction can expand the possibilities and inspiration of travel."
Housed in a panoramic dining theatre within the newly renovated Bund City Hall Plaza, the seven-course dinner is part culinary tour, part theatrical journey—a unique reimagining of how food and culture can come together in travel, right in the heart of Shanghai.
A Culinary Journey Through Seven Regions
In a 90-minute show, animated panda chef, Cheng BaoBao, leads guests on a culinary journey through seven regions of China. Each regional chapter is paired with a signature dish from that locale, inviting travellers to taste their way across the country.
Diners can enjoy crispy, succulent Peking Duck served with refreshing jasmine tea in the north. In the southern region, they can savour tangy Sour Soup Fish balanced by mellow Pu'er tea. A nourishing herbal hot pot with premium ingredients like marbled beef, abalone, and rare fungi awaits them in the chapter of central China, while spice lovers will enjoy the western region's chapter, where Mapo Tofu is elevated with wagyu beef cubes and lobsters.
Chinese values are also woven into each chapter, such as wisdom, responsibility, benevolence, integrity, heritage, connection, and innovation. Along the way, Cheng BaoBao encounters these values in action. From Guilin fishermen honouring a fishing ban to allow ecosystems to thrive, to a Sichuan chef insisting on three-year-aged bean paste for authentic Mapo Tofu, these narrative moments provide a window into the philosophies that shape the country's culinary heritage.
Immersive Storytelling Through Sight, Sound, and Interaction
Taste of China's dynamic projections and live performances also bring each course vividly to life. Dancers in elegant hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) glide through Suzhou's gardens, echoing the rhythm of the digital scenery. In another chapter, a performer wields a staff in a powerful display of Shaolin martial arts, while in a fishing season storyline in Guilin, guests can virtually "catch" fish in an interactive tabletop game.
The show reaches its dramatic finale with a live Sichuan opera face-changing performance, where artists swap masks with speed amidst an unexpected rock rhythm.
Step into Tradition and Dress the Part
Guests are recommended to arrive two hours in advance to dress up in traditional Chinese costumes. The venue offers professional styling services featuring a range of Chinese attire, such as Song dynasty hanfu, Qing-era cheongsam, Tang-dynasty inspired outfits, and the distinctive garments of Miao and Tibetan communities. A 3D screen and intricately designed sets outside the venue also provide the perfect backdrop for photos and social sharing.
Food as a Gateway to Travel
As global travellers increasingly seek out food-led travel experiences, Trip.com Group is positioning cuisine as a gateway to cultural discovery. According to the company's latest data, in the first half of 2025, culinary travel bookings rose by 30% year-on-year, with Paris, London, New York, Madrid, and Milan topping the list of global dining destinations.
Within China, foodies are flocking to cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Changsha. Among these, Shanghai and Beijing stand out with strong restaurant bookings, highlighting the growing appeal of their dynamic food scenes.
Taste of China is part of the Group's greater focus on culinary tourism. Each course in the experience doubles as a destination guide: menus feature QR codes linking to curated destination tips for featured regions, making it easier for diners to turn inspiration into travel plans. This focus is further reflected in Trip.Gourmet, the Group's one-stop food guide on Trip.com that offers global restaurant rankings and lists, travel-centric food content, and reservation options.
Driving Innovation in Destination Experiences
From a broader perspective, Taste of China goes beyond a culinary showcase — it is a cross-border, user-friendly experience designed for today's modern travellers who seek authentic cultural adventures. By developing its own flagship experiences like Taste of China, the Group aims to drive destination demand, increase visitor arrivals, and inspire the industry to create more world-class offerings.
Trip.com Group actively drives travel innovation with initiatives such as the Tourism Innovation Awards, which spotlight and reward standout projects across the travel sector. Leveraging on China's growing popularity and expanded visa-free transit policy, the Group also uses creative destination storytelling to turn layovers into memorable experiences. Its layover programmes in Shanghai and Beijing offer free city tours with curated cultural highlights, while over 1,500 group and private tours itineraries across China—from expertly guided packages to bespoke journeys—are tailored to diverse traveller needs.
Looking ahead, the Taste of China experience will continue to evolve with seasonal menu updates, overseas pop-up events, and touring editions designed to bring new stories—and new flavours—to audiences worldwide.
Plan Your Visit
Taste of China is now open for reservations on Trip.com platforms.
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