Chongqing hotpot applies for cultural heritage  

重慶火鍋正式申請國家級非物質文化遺產保護

A hotpot restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province gains popularity for British Prime Minister David Cameron visited it and had a dinner here on December 4, 2013 during his tour in China.( Photo: China News Service)

David Cameron plays table tennis with students during his visit to a primary school in Chengdu. (Photo: China News Service)

(ECNS) -- Traditional Chongqing-style hotpot is trying to make its way onto the list of state-level intangible cultural heritages, the Chongqing Morning News reported on Friday.

"We are trying to preserve the special cooking method," said Li Dejian, head of the hotpot association in Chongqing.

Chongqing hotpot was first eaten by poor boatmen on the Yangtze River in Chongqing, and then spread westwards to the rest of Sichuan province.

Over the years, the traditional method of cooking and eating the delicacy has changed.

Traditionally, making the soup base for Chongqing hotpot requires special cooking skills and numerous ingredients. However, most hotpot bases available in restaurants today are mass-produced seasoning products.

If the hotpot can be added to the list of state-level intangible cultural heritages, a special fund will be granted to the industry in Chongqing to better protect the traditional dish. People with hotpot cooking skills will also be subsidized, according to an official at the municipal hotpot association.

A torch relay ceremony attended by hotpot restaurant owners will be held on March 22 in Chongqing to build momentum for the application.