APEC Cultural Highlights

The APEC summit serves not only as a platform for economic and trade dialogue but also as a stage for member economies to showcase their cultural heritage. 

At the Shanghai summit, China’s Shu brocade captivated the world, standing alongside other iconic textiles such as Thailand’s Thai silk and Indonesia’s batik.

Boasting a 2,000-year history, Shu brocade is celebrated for its symmetrical patterns, vibrant colors, and bold contrasts. A quintessential craft of the Han Chinese, it embodies a distinctive regional aesthetic and was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Indonesia’s batik

Thai silk 

A man wears a traditional Chilean Chamanto. The Chamanto is a handwoven, poncho-style garment crafted from a refined blend of silk and wool. Renowned as one of the most intricate and luxurious traditional textiles created by Chilean weavers, each piece features a unique pattern and reversible construction, allowing it to be worn on both sides. More than just a garment, the Chamanto is a cherished national heritage passed down through generations. It has evolved into a highly prized collector’s item.

Building on this spirit of cultural exchange, some APEC economies showcase distinctive traditions in gastronomy. At the Los Cabos summit, Mexico showcased its hospitality with cocktails featuring tequila, the nation’s iconic spirit. 

Distilled exclusively from blue agave within protected appellations, tequila is crafted through time-honored cooking and aging processes that yield a bold flavor and a distinct sense of terroir.

Winemaking in the Barossa Valley, Australia. Australian Shiraz draws character from the Southern Hemisphere’s sun and volcanic soils, delivering a robust, full-bodied profile rich with intense fruit aromas.

Japanese sake, brewed at low temperatures, offers a clear, mellow taste that embodies the refined elegance of Eastern ritual.

Hanjeongsik, the quintessential Korean formal set meal, is a masterpiece of traditional banquet-style dining. It centers on rice, soup, kimchi, and a savory hot pot stew. Highlights often include Gujeolpan (an elegant platter of nine delicacies wrapped in thin wheat pancakes) and Sinseollo (a royal hot pot). Cooking relies on steaming, grilling, and blanching; no chili powder is used except in kimchi. A full course ranges from three to 12 side dishes, flowing from appetizers to main courses and ending with traditional desserts.

Vietnam’s national dish, Pho, is a versatile rice noodle soup served with beef or chicken. It features three distinct regional styles, each varying in broth flavor and noodle texture. Customarily enjoyed by tasting the broth before adding garnishes like Thai basil and lime, the dish includes famous varieties like the ingredient-rich “Train Head Pho,” a name tracing back to the vendors who once sold it at train stations. In 2024, Hanoi’s Pho culture was officially inscribed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Beyond textiles and cuisine, many APEC economies celebrate their culture through iconic attractions.

Native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, the kangaroo is an iconic marsupial and a national symbol featured on the Australian coat of arms. These herbivorous macropods are famous for their powerful leaping, using their tail and hind legs for stability. Diverse kangaroo species thrive across various Australian habitats, and their global significance is recognized every Oct. 24 on World Kangaroo Day.

Machu Picchu, located in Peru’s Cusco Province, perches on a ridge 2,350 meters above sea level. Built by the Incas in the 15th century, this “Lost City of the Incas” is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a remarkably well-preserved pre-Columbian site. In 1983, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Nazca Lines are a vast collection of ancient geoglyphs etched into the Nazca Desert of Peru. Created by the Nazca culture, some of these figures date back to 400 BCE, though most were formed around the 1st century CE. Covering 500 square kilometers, the site features straight lines, geometric patterns, and colossal depictions of animals and plants, with some designs reaching up to 300 meters in length. These geoglyphs were crafted by scraping away dark surface stones to reveal the lighter soil beneath. Discovered by scientist Paul Kosok in 1939, the site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.