When it comes to Zhongshan's tourist delicacies, Shiqi Squab must be listed. Nowadays, people can freely go to Cantonese restaurants, order a whole Shiqi squab and enjoy it. But in the 1980s, "Shiqi Squab" was only for export. Zhongshan locals had little chance to taste it.

The Zhongshan Hot Spring Hotel held an opening ceremony banquet on December 28, 1980. Henry Fok Ying Tung required that braised Shiqi Squab must be on the menu. More than 1,000 guests were invited to the banquet that included more than 100 tables, but only 3 braised Shiqi squabs were served each table.

Data show that Zhongshan County (now Zhongshan City) produced less than 30,000 squabs in 1980, and all qualified ones were for export.

The Reform and Opening-up promoted the industrial production of squabs, which has made Shiqi Squab a daily dish of common people, an important industry for the Zhongshan tourism economy, and a cultural icon of the city.

"Now, Zhongshan has special breeding bases for Shiqi squabs, with an annual output of several million," said Zheng Yaorong, a renowned chef in Zhongshan.

"There are various cooking methods for Shiqi squabs. They can be fried, braised, crisped, boiled, poached, or stewed in soy sauce," said Zheng Yaorong, adding that chefs in Zhongshan are very innovative and have come up with many ways to cook squabs.