Collection and Use of Personal Data, Other Terms and Rules

1. Participants understand and agree that the personal data collected by the Organizer will be used for the following purposes:
   1. To verify eligibility and confirm identity;
   2. To notify and contact participants regarding any matters related to the event, if deemed necessary by the Organizer;
   3. To communicate with participants during and after the event regarding arrangements, pre-/post-event feedback, and cultural exchanges on Chinese cuisine (if any); and
   4. To share with culinary/food/catering associations, chambers of commerce, institutes, catering service providers, and manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of cooking equipment, ingredients, and sauces, so that the Organizer and the aforementioned entities may contact participants directly for the purpose of promoting catering services, cooking equipment, ingredients, and/or sauces. For clarity, co-organizers and sponsors fall under the above categories.

   Even if a participant's eligibility is revoked or the participant withdraws from all or part of the event for any reason, the above purposes remain unaffected. However, participants have the right to inquire, correct their personal data, or request in writing that their personal data no longer be used for direct marketing. Participants may send a letter or email to:

   Email:

   Postal Address:

   If there are any changes to the categories of entities using personal data or the purposes stated above, the Organizer will notify participants in advance and seek renewed consent.

2. Participants are responsible for all costs related to visas, air tickets, and other travel expenses for the event. Unless otherwise specified in writing by the Organizer, the Organizer will not bear any costs incurred by participants in connection with the event, including but not limited to transportation, accommodation, personal travel, or medical insurance.
3. All participants must attend and take part in promotional activities arranged by the Organizer, including but not limited to interviews and photo shoots by local or overseas media, and online media interviews. All visual images/videos (if any) of the submitted entries, recipe copyrights, and ingredient/sauce lists provided by participants to the Organizer shall belong exclusively to the Organizer. The Organizer has the unrestricted right to use and reproduce these works free of charge for any purpose.
4. The Organizer reserves the right to allow media outlets worldwide to report on the event, any participant, and/or their entries. When interviewed, participants may only express personal opinions (not on behalf of the Organizer). Participants agree not to engage in any actions during or after the event that could damage the rights or reputation of the Organizer.
5. Winners of the Gold Award, Silver Award, and Bronze Award must provide detailed recipes to the Organizer within two weeks after the competition.
6. The Organizer has the right to use all participants' names, portraits, and photos for promoting the competition or similar/future related projects.
7. The event involves various risks. By participating, participants assume all risks during the event. The Organizer bears no responsibility for any personal injury, death, property damage, or loss that participants may suffer during the event. Participants fully waive any rights to claim damages, recover costs, or take legal action against the Organizer for such incidents. If any personal injury, death, property damage, or loss occurs due to a participant's negligence or personal liability during the event, the participant shall bear full responsibility and indemnify the Organizer against any third-party claims or lawsuits.
8. Submission of the registration form will be deemed as acknowledgment and agreement to all the above terms and conditions.

Judging

1. The judging panel consists of seven members. Apart from one representative from Lee Kum Kee, the others are well-respected figures from the culinary industry or representatives from guiding organizations. On-site supervisors will be appointed from professional personnel.
2. Each participant's dish will be identified only by an independent code. Judges will not be able to distinguish regional representatives.
3. All dishes will be delivered to the judging panel by neutral personnel designated by the Organizer. Participants are not allowed to have direct contact with the judges.

Scoring Criteria

Each dish has a total score of 100 points, broken down as follows:

• Taste (0–35 points): Flavor should be authentic and delicious, seasoning appropriate, original taste of ingredients retained, main flavor prominent, and complex flavors skillfully applied.
• Texture (0–35 points): Excellent knife skills, uniform specifications, even sauce consistency, reasonable ratio of main and auxiliary ingredients, proper heat control, clear texture, and compliance with expected characteristics.
• Creativity (0–15 points): Innovative use of sauces, clever and reasonable dish concept and design, demonstrating creativity and new thinking within traditional Chinese culinary techniques.
• Presentation (0–10 points): Natural and pleasing color tone, attractive plating, harmony between dish and tableware.
• Cleanliness & Hygiene (0–5 points): Proper arrangement of materials and tools, clean tableware and decorations. Excess leftover ingredients will result in point deductions. Raw and cooked foods must be separated, and no inedible items are allowed in the finished dish.

4. Special Awards Criteria:
   • Best Creativity Award: Highest score in the "Creativity" section.
   • Best Sauce Pairing Award: Highest score in the "Taste" section.
   • Best Presentation Award: Highest score in the "Presentation" section.
5. Scoring Method: For each dish, the highest and lowest scores will be removed, then the average of the remaining scores will be calculated. Deductions by the on-site supervisor will then be subtracted to determine the participant's final score.
6. Participants who are absent or fail to submit their dish within the designated time will not receive any awards.
7. Each judge must uphold fairness, impartiality, and transparency, and avoid any communication with participants.
8. Any amendments on a judge's score sheet must be signed for confirmation.
9. Unless otherwise specified below, the Organizer reserves the right to cancel, amend, or add to any event rules without prior notice or consent from participants, and retains absolute interpretation rights over all rules. Participants may not dispute these rules.
10. Without the Organizer's permission, participants may not attempt to lobby judges or the Organizer's responsible personnel.
11. The Organizer and the judging panel have the final decision on competition results. Participants may not dispute the outcome.
12. The Organizer reserves the right to refuse participation to anyone who fails to comply with the event rules or does not meet the competition requirements.