Taste China: A Journey with World-Class Photographers

Chinese food culture is a core part of the country’s heritage and a unique contribution to the world. While many in the West discover Chinese cuisine through local restaurants, truly experiencing its depth and meaning requires being in China.

“Taste China” invites top American photographers to travel across China, capturing its food, people, and culture through their lens. Their work offers a fresh perspective on the blend of Eastern and Western cultures, showing how food can build bridges and connect people around the world.

June 2024: Taste Sichuan An Adventure Through Photography

Taste China brings top American photographers to China to capture its culinary culture and everyday life, promoting cultural exchange between East and West. The project includes two parts: field photography and a follow-up exhibition and publication.
I. Field Photography
Each year, the project focuses on one Chinese province, organizing multiple photography tours to document its unique culinary traditions, local customs, and cultural heritage.
II. Publication & Exhibition
The resulting works are shared with mainstream American audiences—especially those in cultural and educational fields—through publications, exhibitions, and various media platforms.
Team A：
Team A focused on Chengdu and surrounding areas, including Guanghan, Ya’an, Meishan, Leshan, and Zigong. The team captured the region’s rich culinary traditions and cultural heritage in depth.
(From left to right: Michael Nelson, Nick Ut, Irfan Khan, Ringo Chiu)
Photography Showcase：
In Sichuan, flavors come to life—from the freshness of ingredients to the art of cooking, and finally to dishes full of color, aroma, and taste. Every step reflects the region’s rich culinary identity.
 
As they explored Sichuan’s streets and landscapes, the photographers captured moments where tradition meets modern life, and calm coexists with energy.
 
In this journey of light and flavor, we invite you to see Sichuan through the unique perspectives of American photographers—to rediscover its people, its culture, and its soul in the harmonious symphony of food and life.
 

November 2024: Taste China — See You in Guangdong

The second chapter of the Taste China trip, initiated by CCDC, took place in Guangdong in November 2024. Hosted by GDToday, the tour brought four world-class photographers—Nick Ut, Ringo Chiu, Irfan Khan, and Michael Nelson—on an 11-day journey through six cities: Qingyuan, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shantou, Zhongshan, and Foshan.

I. Field Photography
From the Yao ethnic villages in Qingyuan to the historic streets of Shamian in Guangzhou and the coastal views of Dongguan, the photographers traveled across six cities—capturing Guangdong in all its forms, from mountains to metropolises, from the ancient to the modern.
II. Photo Sharing Session
At the end of the journey, the four photographers joined a public sharing session, where they interacted with local residents and shared their photography insights—as well as their personal impressions of Guangdong.
Team B：
Team B spent 11 days traveling through six cities, capturing the vibrant moments of southern China.
(Photo: The photographers in Hanfu, from left to right – Irfan Khan, Ringo Chiu, Michael Nelson, Nick Ut)
Photography Showcase：

To document and share this unique journey, a series of photography exhibitions were planned in both Guangzhou and Los Angeles from late 2024 to early 2025.

In January 2025, the first exhibition was held at South Coast Plaza in Southern California, drawing local visitors to view the photographers’ vivid impressions of Guangdong through their lenses.

On February 15, the exhibition “Discovering China Together: Photography Exhibition by Renowned American Photographers in Guangdong” opened in Guangzhou as part of the 2025 Intercultural Day in China.

The showcase featured 42 works by the four photographers, presenting the Greater Bay Area’s natural beauty, cultural richness, and urban energy from diverse perspectives.

Photography, in this project, goes beyond capturing beauty—it becomes a bridge that connects cultures and brings people closer across borders.