(Minghui.org) On September 27-28, 2012, top Chinese chefs from around the world pitted their meat cleavers and woks against each other in the middle of Times Square, in New York City. It’s all for NTD’s Fifth International Chinese Culinary Competition.

After seven preliminary rounds on the 27th, five western celebrity chefs tried their hand at a classic Sichuan cuisine in the first ever Fire up the Wok Competition.

French chef Antoine Camin wooed judges with his dish, which drew out the sweet and sour hint that’s essential to Kung Pao Chicken.

The event was held in a specially designed set that brought the ancient Chinese capital of Chang’an back to life.

The hosts announce the dish names

The competition

The dishes

On the 28th, the best of dozens of competing chefs rejoined for the final round in a world-class cook-off challenge, competing for the title of Best Chinese Chef.

Chef Chen Yichun won the Gold place in NTD Television’s Fifth International Chinese Culinary Competition, held in New York City.

The gold medal winner, Chen Yichun, holds a check

Upon winning, Chef Chen said the most important thing for him was not the award itself, but learning new things, and in the process, discovering any shortcomings. He said, "It was not just an opportunity to advance one’s skills, but also one’s character and attitude."

“If one wants to cook good food, one first has to be a good person.” Chef Chen specializes in Sichuan cuisine, one of the five cuisines of China included in the competition. The other four cuisines are Shandong, Cantonese, Huaiyang, and Northeastern.

Mr. Chen Yichun is cooking fish.

Mr. Liu Shixian is cooking a cantonese dish.

Ms. Shi Yuhua is cooking a Shandong style dish.

The judges are tasting the dishes.

Along with Chef Chen, 16 other chefs won awards and honorary mentions.

Most of the contestants have dozens of years of experience; accordingly, the judging process was done very carefully. Given the difficulty of judging and the high level of competitors, the competition’s host, Dan Chen, said he didn’t wish to be on the panel of judges “because it’s so hard to decide who will win.”

Head judge, Chef Qu Yuqiang, said that while cooking in the competition, contestants should not be in a hurry, but instead be calm and prudent. “If a chef cooks so well he can bring the dish alive, there is certainly something beyond the techniques. It is a mentality of wisdom.”

The culinary competition, hosted by independent Chinese-language TV network New Tang Dynasty, is one of a series of different competitions designed to bring back traditional Chinese culture, something that was almost destroyed by the Communist Party in China.

Alongside the Times Square competition, NTD also hosted The Emperor’s Banquet on Thursday night. Funds raised by the banquet went to a joint scholarship with the James Beard Foundation, which benefits underprivileged students interested in Chinese culinary arts.

Although many have eaten Chinese food, authentic Chinese culinary food arts and techniques from the various regions are not as familiar. On that, one of the three bronze winners, Chef Alex Zhong, who’s been cooking Northeastern China cuisine since 1984 said, “As Chinese, it is our duty to introduce our culture to the world. As for me, I want to introduce Northeastern Chinese cuisine to the world.”