On the evening of 15 February 2026, the American Chinese Cuisine & Culture Association held its founding ceremony and Lunar New Year gala at the Hilton San Gabriel. The event was co-hosted with the United Chinese Associations, the Fenglei Group and the Huizhong Financial Group. Under the theme “Fenglei spurs the steed, dumplings celebrate the harvest”, more than 400 guests from government, business, the restaurant trade and the cultural world gathered to witness the association’s formal founding.
Founding President Zhang Furong opened the evening, offering New Year greetings, recounting how the association came together, and setting out its goals for the year ahead. She described the association’s purpose as carrying culture abroad and connecting commercial projects, laying the groundwork for outstanding businesses and products to reach international markets. Its programme will centre on cultural promotion, industry exchange, training and community service — a food culture festival, culinary training, industry forums, young chef exchanges and community projects.
Zhang Yong, chairman of the United Chinese Associations, spoke on the significance of the association for passing on Chinese culinary culture and building a bridge between China and the wider world.
Fenglei Group chairman Feng Ye and president Wang Mingming both offered their congratulations, pledging the group’s logistics, industry services and cultural promotion platforms in support of the association’s work.
U.S. Representative Judy Chu called the association’s founding a milestone for culinary exchange between the United States and China. Monterey Park mayor Thomas Wong and San Gabriel council member Chin Ho Liao were among the local elected officials who added their congratulations.
In the competition segment, Zhang Yong and council chairman Jiang Fengnian presented awards to the winning competitors.
The founding of the association marks a firm step forward for Chinese culinary culture in the United States. Its work ahead will deepen exchange and industry cooperation, with food as the bridge.
