Acclaimed chefs from the Chinese food capital of Chengdu will team up with local restaurants in San Francisco to serve up authentic Sichuan cuisine.

A two-week festival celebrating Chengdu arts and cuisine kicked off on Tuesday in San Francisco. Mayor Edwin Lee and Chengdu Vice-Mayor Liu Xiaoliu will co-host an evening gala on Wednesday at City Hall featuring Sichuan cuisine, special brews, dancing and an opera performance.

The festival is the second of its kind between San Francisco and its friendship city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province and one of the most celebrated culinary destinations in China.

"The people of San Francisco and Chengdu share many cultural similarities, including a deep appreciation for great food," Lee said at a city hall press conference on Tuesday.

"We are excited to continue and expand our success from last year in promoting Sichuan cuisine," he said. "Food is a universal language that helps bond people from different places together."

Liu's delegation brought a variety of treats to introduce to the foodies of San Francisco, including white and red peppercorn and salted black beans.

As an outreach to future generations of San Francisco, the city of Chengdu sent 300 clay panda statues to the San Francisco Unified School District. Students decorated the pandas, and a selection will be featured at Wednesday's gala.

"Chengdu is a unique city known for pandas and its cuisine and chili peppers," Ren Faqiang, Chinese deputy consul general in San Francisco, told the press conference. "Sichuan cuisine is catching on quickly in China and the US as well. I hope the food can bring the two star cities closer."

The opening gala will be followed by Chengdu Days in the Bay Area. On Thursday, the festival will visit UC Berkeley, showcasing an evening of Sichuan cuisine and entertainment. The Chengdu delegation will also visit various technology companies in Silicon Valley to promote the Sichuan cuisine and culture.

In addition, there will be three Chengdu-themed dinners open to the public: MY China in San Francisco, Koi Palace in Milpitas and Chef Chu's in Los Altos. Each restaurant will feature a different Chengdu-inspired menu for the evening.

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(China Daily USA 11/01/2017 page2)