Shake it, Caribbean style

Mexican pop-rock group Moderatto will perform at the Latin American & Caribbean Music Festival in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The Beijing culinary scene will get a taste of the region with the three-day Caribbean Food & Cultural Festival running from Saturday to Monday at Beijing's Marriott Hotel Northeast.

Caribbean chefs, including Paul Griffith and Michelin-starred chef Michael Hinds, will showcase the best of the region's cuisine.

"Caribbean culture is mysterious to Chinese audiences, and we want to bridge the gap," says Zhang Yu, president of China Arts and Entertainment Group and the main organizer of China-Latin America and Caribbean 2016 Year of Culture Exchange.

"I believe after seeing these exchange programs, perhaps more Chinese people are keen to physically get to those Latin American countries to experience the culture," says Erwan Perhirin, vice-president of Asia Pacific at American Airlines, sponsor of the festival. The company operates more than 1,750 flights every week between China and Latin America via hubs at Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Charlotte.

The airline, now in the Chinese market for a decade, has been collaborating with the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival for six years.

"The goal of the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival is to present world culture to Chinese audiences as well as to show Chinese art to the world. Our partner, American Airlines, also functions as a bridge," says Zhang.