Chinese cuisine heats up kitchen in France

The eighth season of the reality show The Chinese Restaurant recently premiered on Hunan Satellite TV.

This season, aimed at promoting Chinese culinary culture to international audiences, features a group of Chinese celebrities, including actresses Jiang Yan and Yu Shuxin, pop idol Zhai Xiaowen, and actors Hu Yitian, Yin Zheng and Huang Xiaoming, running a Chinese restaurant next to the Monet Garden in Giverny, France. French chef Corentin Delcroix has also been invited to join the show.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, the China-France Cultural Tourism Year and the Paris 2024 Olympics. With these themes in mind, the show highlights the affectionate interactions between Chinese and French people. The premiere received praise from many viewers.

The first episode aired on the video-sharing platform Mango TV on Friday and within 14 hours amassed over 50 million views. Membership subscriptions to the platform surged by 70 percent compared to the same period last season.

Set near Monet's garden, the reality show offers viewers romantic scenery with swaying wheat fields, lush greenery and the soothing sounds of streams.

"The lifestyle in the French village and the united efforts of the show's participants to promote Chinese food culture attract me to watch the show," a viewer commented.