Guangzhou, known as the "flower city", held a special conference in Paris, France on Jan 25 to promote its flower and food culture.

At the conference, German chef Stefan Stiller from China's first one-star Michelin restaurant and Chinese chef Hardy Lung, the judge of the 2017 Bocuse d'Or Finale, were invited to share their stories and cook up some delicacies for the meeting attendees.

A foreign attendee tries some Guangzhou delicacies. [Photo/gz.gov.cn]

Apart from a variety of food, Guangzhou also brought kapok flower lanterns to the conference. The lanterns were on display at the Lyon Festival of Lights last year.

Jan 27 marked the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the two countries have seen continuous cooperation and exchanges in the fields of politics, economy, culture, science, education, sports, and non-governmental communications.

A kapok flower lantern. [Photo/gz.gov.cn]

Guangzhou and Paris are important hub cities of the Maritime Silk Road. According to historical records, as early as 1850, Paris and Guangzhou were ranked among the world's top 10 most famous cities. Paris ranked third, followed by Guangzhou. The two cities, both with a history of more than 2,000 years, have frequent cultural exchanges related to history.

A French guest tries out some Guangzhou snacks. [Photo/gz.gov.cn]