[Video/Li Fei & Shi Yalei]
By the Xin'an River in Huangshan, the aroma of Colombian coffee drifts across stone pavements as Renato, a businessman from Colombia, opens the door to COLIBRI. The restaurant's Andean-inspired carvings sit beside Huizhou stonework, symbolizing a dialogue between distant cultures.
Renato settled down in Tunxi district, Huangshan after visiting with his family in 2023, drawn by the region's mild climate and warm hospitality.
He brought traditional dishes such as Bandeja Paisa and Arepas to the local dining scene, insisting on "keeping the authentic flavor." At the same time, Huizhou's own specialties meet Colombian staples on shared tables, turning meals into cultural encounters.
His daughter Zaira, now fluent in Chinese, English, and Spanish, records her Huizhou experiences in her diary after trying traditional ink-making in Xidi village.
Inside the restaurant, Colombian crafts are displayed, attracting both local residents and international tourists, transforming the dining room into a cultural showcase.
For Tunxi district, such ventures embody a quiet but powerful form of internationalization where food serves as a medium of diplomacy, narrowing distances between people.
By embracing global entrepreneurs like Renato, Tunxi district is evolving from a riverside town into an international salon, where visitors not only pass through, but also choose to stay, create, and belong.