The old Chinese area has been brought back to life in just three days.  Organised annually, the cultural and culinary festival in China Town is very successful.

Spice up the old Chinese area.  That was the goal of the organising committee of China Town's cultural and culinary festival.  For this fourth edition, the participants had laid on a first-rate meal.  The opening ceremony was held with great pomp in early April in the presence of hundreds of people.  It was an opportunity to restore prestige to this area of the capital.  "Due to the economic development of Port Louis, those who used to live in the old area have moved out over the years and this has resulted in the closing down of many traditional businesses," said Mr Chan.  But he and his family have always refused to leave and they have been trying for the last four years to bring the Chinese area back to life through the organisation of this festival.              

Delicious specialties

Over the three days, we were able to see Chinese lanterns, colourful shop windows and other decorations put out, along the streets of China Town, specifically for the occasion.  Many shops in the area extended their opening hours so as to allow thousands of inquisitive people to relish traditional and contemporary dishes.  The clever mixture of several kinds of food appealed to even the finest gourmets.    

The gastronomic aspect of the festival delighted a large number of people.  The stalls, set up along the main avenue, were inundated with Chinese food lovers.  They set their hearts on the honey flavoured pork chops, the slices of Peking duck and many other dishes that had been meticulously prepared.  As for the most gourmet ones, they found what they were looking for at the sweeter stalls: "sesame cake," "steamed glutinous rice cake" and "prawn crackers" of all colours.