Date: May 15-18, 2023 
Venue: Laowaitan, Jiangbei District

Organizers
Hosted by:
Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism
Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce
Ningbo Municipal Government
Organized by: 
Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism
Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce
Ningbo Jiangbei District Government

Participants:
Top officials of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, Ningbo Municipal Government, Jiangbei District; commercial consuls of CEE countries in Shanghai, etc.


Introduction
From May 15-18, Laowaitan in Ningbo hosted “A Taste of Zhejiang and CEEC”, featuring 14 events across 5 categories. The festivities include an opening ceremony, fusion display of Zhejiang and CEEC cuisine, long-table banquet, tea ceremony demonstration, China-Polish E-sports Youth Player Tournament, CEEC cultural and art exhibition, imported products exhibition, and inauguration ceremony of China-CEEC cooperation projects. These activities enhanced the Expo’s joyful atmosphere, reinforce China-CEEC cooperation, and bolster the Belt and Road Initiative’s progress, as well as Ningbo’s evolution into a contemporary coastal metropolis.

Agenda
(I) Opening ceremony
(II) Food Exhibition
1. Zhejiang Cuisine. There were 11 booths displaying specialty cuisines of 11 Zhejiang localities, with chefs preparing foods on site. The booths are designed to reflect local customs and special cultures of individual localities.
2. CEEC Cuisine. There were 15 foreign culinary food booths showcasing the local customs and cultures of the CEECs. Chefs from the CEECs prepared representative CEEC foods for Ningbo citizens to enjoy.
3. CEEC Goods. There were around 20 booths set up in the Display Area, the Demonstration Area, and the Activity Area. The booths showcased trendy and special CEEC products and serve to promote the premium goods from the CEECs and neighboring countries.
4. Long-table Banquet. There were an outdoor banquet at Laowaitan showcasing specialty foods from the CEECs and 11 Zhejiang localities. To demonstrate a merging of Chinese and western cultures, the banquet table were adorned with ornaments representing Zhejiang and CEEC’s tourism destinations, artistic traditions, and intangible cultural heritage.
(III) People-to-people and cultural activities
1. Arts Exhibition. With pictures, videos, music and other art elements on display, the Exhibition were an immersive showcase of both Chinese and international cultures.
2. Chinese and Western cultural exchange.
3. China-Polish E-sports Youth Player Tournament. Engaging young players in exciting E-sports games, this tournament between Ningbo and Polish cities served to enhance youth cultural exchange between China and the CEECs.   
4. Exhibition of Creative Cultural Products, Handicrafts, and Paintings. Through on-site creation, interaction, display and sales of distinctive cultural products, this exhibition serve to strengthen cultural exchange and art cooperation of relevant parties.
5. CEEC Food Exchange. There were regular CEE-style food shows on the waterfront; CEEC food days with CEEC chefs preparing specialty foods; and special showcases of CEECs’ wine and coffee culture (coffee and wine display, coffee brewing demonstration, wine tasting, etc.).
(IV) Economic and trade cooperation events
1. Inauguration ceremony of the “China (Ningbo)-CEEC Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center”
2. Inauguration ceremony of the “CEEC Commodities Exchange and Experience Center”
3. Signing ceremony of the friendship city agreement between Jiangbei District and Ajka, Hungary