Hundreds of local and foreign diners flocked to section B of 23/9 Park in Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown to visit the 2013 “Taste of the World” Culinary Festival, which officially kicked off on Thursday evening.

The 8th annual 4-day festival is organized by the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the HCMC Tourism Association as part of the city’s tourism promotional program.

According to the department, the event is a fascinating playground with various cultural activities such as ethnic art performances, folk games, and other art forms introducing the costumes and traditional music of many neighboring countries in the region.

In addition, visitors can enjoy the diversity of typical dishes from various countries around the world through attractions such as on-site food processing, the "5 Star Chef" mini-festival, and wine introduction programs.

Moreover, the World Food Culture Center (WFCC) will launch a food introduction and training program and bartending contest.

The organizers expected about 120 booths from 60 businesses including hotels and restaurants, representing cuisine from more than 20 countries and territories around the world. Standardized units  from the Ho Chi Minh City - 100 interesting things program and consul general agencies in HCMC will be available at the event.