A promotion meeting of Guilin rice noodles is held at the first World Rice Noodles Expo, which is being held in Nanning from Nov 16 to 18. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guilin rice noodles, a traditional and popular snack in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has attracted a number of customers at home and abroad at the first World Rice Noodles Expo, which is being held in Nanning from Nov 16 to 18.

As an innovative platform to upgrade and develop the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), the World Rice Noodles Expo aims to build an international exchange platform for the rice noodles industry, promoting cooperation between China and neighboring countries in related industries.

Guilin rice noodles. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At present, Guilin has 31 rice noodles production enterprises and 35 brands, among which 20 brands have opened nearly 100 online stores online, with monthly sales reaching 700,000 boxes. A total of 36 dry rice noodles enterprises have an annual output of about 300,000 tons and annual sales of about 3 billion yuan ($427.81 million).

Guilin rice noodles have gradually grown into a globally renowned food, becoming one of the symbols of Guilin's food culture. Consumers can see Guilin rice noodles on trains and planes, in large supermarket chains, as well as convenience stores. They are even available in foreign countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

Guilin has done an exemplary job publicizing and promoting Guilin rice noodles to the world. The city applied for the geographical indication trademark of "Guilin rice noodles" in 2010 to evoke its cultural connotation and rich history. In addition, enterprises in Guilin have been devoted to developing preservation technology to expand the market space of the Guilin rice noodles industry.

It is estimated that by 2021, more than 500 Guilin rice noodles stores will be opened nationwide, and the total industrial chain revenue is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan. By 2025, the total income of the entire rice noodles industrial chain is expected to reach 20 billion yuan.