Chilean consul brings a taste of South America to Shekou market

You don't have to fly all the way to South America to experience Chile. That was the message at the Hello APEC Shekou Cultural Market, where the smells, sounds, and colors of the region came alive on Aug. 29 right in the heart of Shenzhen.

And there was a special guest on hand to guide the way: Gonzalo Rubilar, commercial consul of Chile in Guangzhou, who took visitors on a deep dive into his home country.

"The market is very nice. I was amazed, because there are many people, a lot of kids, a lot of families, a lot of exhibitors," Rubilar said. "They can taste a little bit of the culture of Chile and Peru, a bit of the culture of South America. So I think it's a great event and a great experience."

Gonzalo Rubilar, commercial consul of Chile in Guangzhou, delivers a speech at the Hello APEC Shekou Cultural Market and welcomes participants to get a glimpse into Chilean culture. Courtesy of Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats

Chile's most famous export was, naturally, front and center. "Chilean wine, we have several kinds. Not only red wine, we also have white wine and sparkling wine," Rubilar introduced.

He explained why Chilean wine stands out. "Chilean wine is very famous. In Chile, we are surrounded by mountains, desert, and glaciers. The grapes in the middle of Chile are perfect, not only the flavor, but also the texture and the smell."

Rubilar introduces Chilean wine at the market. Shenzhen Daily

But Chile is more than its vineyards. "Chile is a very long country. We have different landscapes," Rubilar noted. "I will recommend for sure the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world, and the Andes Mountains. Especially the Torres del Paine in the south of Chile, tourists can see not only mountains but also glaciers. It's very beautiful. And in the central region, we have the vineyards where we produce wines."

For beach lovers, he had one more suggestion: "If you want to go to the beach, you can go to Easter Island and see the Moai statues and take a picture with them."

With Chilean wine and cherries already beloved in China, the obvious question was: what comes next?

"I think seafood," Rubilar said without hesitation. "Chile has one of the longest coastlines in the world. We have a lot of different kinds of seafood. Salmon and mussels are very popular. But I think all other kinds of seafood and fish will start to arrive in the Chinese market in the coming years. They're going to be more and more popular, because the taste is amazing."

Gonzalo Rubilar, commercial consul of Chile in Guangzhou, shares his expectations about the upcoming APEC meeting in Shenzhen. Shenzhen Daily

As China prepares for the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen this November, Rubilar shared his expectations.

"I hope, and I think this is what everybody's hoping for, that we have a great event where we can share experiences, find new business, find new opportunities for all the economies of APEC," Rubilar shared.

"On Chile's side, we are very enthusiastic because we are going to have a big delegation coming. We hope everything goes great," he added.