Visitors take photos of the dishes at the hairtail banquet held in Putuo district, Zhoushan, on Dec 9. [Photo/zj.zjol.com] 

A lavish banquet with a wide variety of hairtail dishes was held in Putuo district, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, on Dec 9, showcasing the distinct marine culture and local customs of the city. 

As an island city, Zhoushan is abundant in fish resources, especially the hairtail, which is among the four top commercial fishes in the city. 

Moreover, Zhoushan hairtail is well-known for its tender texture, rich flavor and high nutritious value. 

The banquet displayed various inviting hairtail dishes, such as the steamed hairtail, fruit-flavor hairtail roll, hairtail slice omelette and hairtail sashimi. 

"We've prepared these dishes for a whole month, combining the cooking methods of China's eight major cuisines and the local traditions in making them," said the local master chef Guo Jinwei.

In addition to the dishes, there were also some video and fashion shows that displayed the unique food and marine culture of Putuo, and carried a message for marine protection. 

"We hope the banquet will make more people learn about the hairtail and marine culture of the city," said an official from the Putuo government.

A variety of hairtail dishes displayed at the banquet [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

Colorful hairtail balls displayed at the banquet [Photo/zj.zjol.com]