CHINA: Mayor of Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Dato Wee Hong Seng proudly shared Kuching’s journey as Malaysia’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy during the Creative Cities Session at the 2025 Culture and Creativity–Driven Sustainable Urban Development International Forum held in Wuhan, China.

According to a statement, the session held at D+M Creative Haus by AG, brought together 11 UNESCO Creative Cities from China – Beijing, Changsha, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Jingdezhen, Macao, Nanjing, Qingdao, Suzhou, Weifang and Wuhan, along with representatives from Italy, Qatar, Slovenia, Egypt and Indonesia.

“It was moderated by Secretary of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Denise Bax, and Project Officer of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Secretariat, Qianbo Ni.

“In his presentation, Dato Wee highlighted Kuching’s achievements since its UNESCO designation in 2021, noting how the city has used gastronomy to drive creativity, sustainability, and community pride.

“He pointed to initiatives such as food festivals, chef exchanges, community workshops, and digital campaigns that have raised Kuching’s profile as a global gastronomy hub,” it said.

Dato Wee also announced Kuching’s plan to bid for the UNESCO Gastronomy Cluster Conference in 2026, which will further cement the city’s position as a leader in the global gastronomy network.

“Being a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy is more than a title. It is a story we are writing together, one festival, one chef exchange, and one bowl of Mee Kolok at a time.

“Today, I can proudly say that everyone is talking about Kuching, where culture is served on a plate,” he said.

The Mayor’s presentation reinforced Kuching’s growing role as a cultural and creative hub, while contributing to UNESCO’s global vision of culture-driven sustainable urban development and international collaboration. -UKASnews