Quanzhou Named City of Gastronomy, Wuxi City of Music as UNESCO Adds 58 Creative Cities

What changed on World Cities Day 2025

UNESCO has expanded its Creative Cities Network with 58 new designations, spotlighting culture as a driver of urban renewal and community life. Among the newcomers are two cities from China with distinct strengths. Quanzhou in Fujian received recognition as a City of Gastronomy, while Wuxi in Jiangsu earned the title of City of Music. The network now includes 408 member cities across more than 100 countries, reflecting a broad global coalition that uses cultural assets to support jobs, education, tourism and social ties.

The 2025 cohort arrives at a moment when cities are seeking practical tools to balance growth with quality of life. UNESCO’s program connects local cultural sectors with international peers and resources. For China, the announcement brings the country’s total to 20 member cities, spanning fields from literature and design to film, gastronomy and music. The addition of Quanzhou and Wuxi underscores the depth of culinary and musical heritage within Chinese cities, and the capacity of those sectors to fuel fresh projects, small business activity and international exchange.

This round also introduced Creative Cities of Architecture for the first time, a new field that joins crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music. The move signals a growing emphasis on how the built environment, historic neighborhoods and contemporary design can support inclusive growth, climate action and cultural continuity.

What the UNESCO Creative Cities Network does

Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network links cities that use culture and creativity to strengthen local economies and community life. The network promotes knowledge sharing, peer learning and joint projects. It is a framework where festivals, public space programs, education initiatives and creative industry support can be refined and scaled. By joining, cities commit to multi year action plans that outline how creative sectors will contribute to sustainable development goals, from decent work to inclusive education and greener infrastructure.

The program covers eight creative fields. In 2025, architecture joined the existing seven, adding a focus on buildings, urban design and heritage as levers for better living. Member cities take part in workshops, biennial meetings and themed working groups. They also gather data, publish progress updates and collaborate on events that reach residents, students and visitors. A central aim is to turn creative strengths into concrete benefits: skills training, jobs, community programs and new cultural opportunities that are accessible to many.

How cities are chosen

New members are selected every two years through a competitive process. Candidate cities present their cultural assets, an action plan, and a track record of partnerships across government, industry, universities and community groups. Applications are endorsed at the national level, then reviewed internationally by experts and existing members. The process looks at both heritage and contemporary practice, the depth of local participation, and how the proposed plan addresses social inclusion, youth, gender equality and environmental responsibility.

What membership involves

Membership is a long term commitment. Cities are expected to deliver on their plans, invest in education and training, create space for creative entrepreneurs, and widen access to cultural programs. The network encourages cities to measure outcomes, including the number of participants in programs, growth in creative businesses, and progress in safeguarding local heritage. Successful members often serve as regional anchors, sharing lessons with neighbors and building cross border collaborations.

Why Wuxi earned the City of Music title

Wuxi has a musical identity rooted in history and reaching into contemporary performance and industry. Located on the shores of Taihu Lake and about a half hour from Shanghai by high speed rail, the city has long cultivated music education, ensemble performance and instrument craftsmanship. It is often associated with the erhu, a two stringed bowed instrument central to Chinese classical and folk traditions. The legacy of the blind musician A Bing, whose piece Erquan Yingyue, or Moon Reflected on Second Spring, remains one of the most beloved works in the repertoire, continues to shape Wuxi’s cultural life.

The city’s modern music ecosystem is diverse. The Wuxi Symphony Orchestra, launched in 2023, has been building a program that blends Chinese compositions with the global canon. Local ensembles perform across China and abroad, and the city stages a steady calendar of concerts, festivals and community music events. The Wuxi Symphony Concert Hall, scheduled to open on January 1, 2026, is planned as a new anchor for international exchange and audience development. Schools, conservatories, community centers and private studios form a pipeline that connects early music education to professional careers.

Industry also plays a role. Wuxi is a well known base for the making of instruments such as the erhu, harmonica and accordion. That manufacturing know how supports performers and teachers at home and abroad. The City of Music designation can accelerate programs that link education, venues and industry under a single plan: support for small performance spaces, residencies for composers and instrument makers, youth orchestras, music technology entrepreneurship, and accessible music education in public schools. For residents, the result can be a wider range of concerts and learning opportunities. For visitors, it can translate into themed routes, festivals and cultural tourism tied to Taihu Lake and the wider Yangtze River Delta.

Why Quanzhou earned the City of Gastronomy title

Quanzhou’s food culture was shaped by the sea. A major port on the maritime Silk Road during the Song and Yuan dynasties, the city became a meeting point for traders from across Asia and beyond. That history still lives in its religious sites, its neighborhoods and its kitchens. UNESCO recognized Quanzhou’s historical role in global trade with the World Heritage inscription Quanzhou, Emporium of the World in Song Yuan China in 2021. The culinary scene reflects the same blend of local traditions and cross cultural exchange.

The cuisine of southern Fujian favors clear broths, delicate seafood, noodles and subtle use of fermented ingredients. Quanzhou’s markets and food stalls showcase dishes that prize freshness and texture, from seafood soups and thin wheat noodles to oyster omelets that are popular across Minnan communities. The nearby Anxi region, administered by Quanzhou, is famous for Tieguanyin oolong tea. That tea culture informs hospitality and daily life, and it adds a distinctive companion to the city’s food. Centuries of contact with traders from Southeast Asia and the Middle East left a culinary imprint, seen in the use of spices, sesame, and dishes that respect halal traditions alongside classic Fujian fare.

Being named a City of Gastronomy can bring new tools for preserving recipes, elevating street food safety and quality, and building sustainable value chains that connect fishers and farmers to city kitchens. Quanzhou can pair chef training with nutrition programs in schools, promote low waste food festivals, and support small family restaurants through mentoring and microfinance. It can also document techniques that live in home kitchens, so that skills pass to a new generation. Visitors often seek authentic food experiences, and with careful planning the city can grow culinary tourism while protecting neighborhoods from overcrowding.

A new creative field arrives architecture

This year marked the first time UNESCO recognized Creative Cities of Architecture. The new field sits at the intersection of heritage, design and social needs. Buildings shape daily life, and architecture can improve resilience to heat, storms and flooding, all while conserving cultural memory. The 2025 list includes cities such as Quito, Kashan, Lusail, Rovaniemi and Bistrita. Each of these places brings different strengths, from historic centers and indigenous building knowledge to contemporary design and planning practices that aim to reduce emissions and expand access to public space.

The addition of architecture links the network’s creative fields in practical ways. Music and gastronomy rely on venues and markets. Crafts and media arts benefit from studios and cultural districts. Literature and film thrive in libraries, cinemas and archival facilities. Architecture brings a focus on materials, construction skills and urban planning that can unlock resources for conservation and for new models of affordable, beautiful and efficient buildings.

What other cities joined this year

The new class spans every region. In music, cities include New Orleans, Kyiv, Liège, Lalitpur and Kisumu. In gastronomy, Zaragoza, Kelowna, Lucknow, Cuenca and Songkhla were designated. In film, São Paulo, Quezon City, Ho Chi Minh City and Giza joined. Design additions include Kuala Lumpur, Riyadh, La Spezia and Daugavpils. Media arts saw Varna and Malang. Crafts and folk art expanded with cities such as Echizen, Masaya, Safi and Sarchí, while literature welcomed places like Abuja, Tangier and San Luis Potosi. This breadth gives the network a larger pool of ideas to share.

For Quanzhou and Wuxi, that diversity matters. It means more partners for food and music exchanges, paired residencies and co curated festivals. It also means more examples of how cities have measured the effect of cultural programs on education, neighborhood life and small business growth. An accessible overview of the full list and program goals is available on UNESCO’s website at unesco.org.

How culture drives jobs, tourism and local identity

Culture is an economy, a social connector and a way to tell a city’s story. A strong creative sector can translate into jobs for chefs, musicians, technicians, designers, archivists and tour guides. It can also generate demand for local materials and services, from farm produce to instrument parts. Tourism benefits when cities turn heritage and contemporary creativity into experiences that are respectful of local life. That often means spreading events through the calendar and across districts, investing in transit and facilities, and creating quiet times and spaces for residents.

There are also challenges to manage. Popular festivals can raise rents near venues. Food tourism can strain historic streets if visitor flows are not managed. The best outcomes come when cities pair creative promotion with policies that keep neighborhoods livable: affordable workspaces, support for small vendors, noise management, and community participation in planning. Data helps. Cities can track attendance, business creation, training outcomes and neighborhood sentiment to adjust programs and keep benefits broad.

For Wuxi and Quanzhou, joining the network sets a shared agenda. The cities can turn traditions into opportunities for young people, spread programming to schools and parks, and draw visitors away from a few hot spots toward a wider set of neighborhoods and towns. They can also link culture to climate goals, by reducing waste at events, encouraging low carbon travel and using energy efficient venues.

What comes next for Quanzhou and Wuxi

New members are expected to publish clear action plans with timelines, budgets and partners. In Wuxi, the City of Music title can be anchored by the upcoming symphony hall, with programs that bring international performers together with local composers and students. The city can expand practice rooms, rehearsal studios and small venues so that new creators have places to work and perform. Exchange programs can connect Wuxi with other music cities for co commissions, joint tours and technical training. Documentation and archiving of local music traditions, including erhu repertoire and Kunqu opera salons, can be paired with digital projects that reach global audiences.

Quanzhou can build a culinary ecosystem where chefs, food safety teams, farmers and fishers collaborate. Actions might include upgrading kitchen training, building cold chain logistics that cut spoilage, promoting reduced salt and healthy cooking in schools, and improving street food infrastructure. The city can host food festivals that highlight tide to table seafood and Minnan classics, and it can offer grants that help family restaurants adopt greener equipment. Crossovers with creative technology, such as virtual food tours or online archives of recipes and techniques, can reach the diaspora and invite return visits.

Both cities will be expected to report progress, join peer learning sessions, and host visiting delegations. Their success will be measured by the breadth of participation across neighborhoods and age groups, the health of small businesses, and the visibility of local creators on stages and in kitchens. With patient delivery and open collaboration, they can turn the UNESCO badges into everyday benefits for residents.

Highlights

• UNESCO named 58 new Creative Cities on World Cities Day, expanding the network to 408 members in more than 100 countries.
• Quanzhou in Fujian is designated a City of Gastronomy, while Wuxi in Jiangsu is named a City of Music.
• China now has 20 cities in the network across multiple fields, from literature and design to film, gastronomy and music.
• Architecture joined the network’s roster of creative fields for the first time in 2025.
• Wuxi’s music ecosystem includes a new symphony orchestra launched in 2023 and a concert hall scheduled to open on January 1, 2026.
• Quanzhou’s food culture reflects maritime Silk Road heritage, Minnan cuisine and tea traditions from nearby Anxi.
• Membership requires a multi year action plan, community participation and regular progress reporting.
• The expanded network offers new partners for exchanges, co productions and shared strategies on education, tourism and jobs.