As part of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations which will take place in May in Beijing, the Chengdu Panda Asian Food Festival is to be staged on May 15-22 here in the city. The logo and mascot for the gourmet event were unveiled at a press conference held on April 23 in Chengdu.

The logo, in the form of Chinese ink painting, incorporates the patterns of the giant panda, an iconic symbol of Chengdu, chili, a key ingredient of Sichuan cuisine, bridge, a graphic expression of cultural exchange, as well as the earth, which means being international.

With the giant panda as the prototype, the design of the brightly-colored mascot incorporates such classic Sichuan food and cultural elements as chili, Sichuan peppercorn, and Sichuan Opera costume.