'Spicy flight' launches to promote Sichuan's 'spicy culture'

"Spiciness is a label of Chengdu. We expect the 'spicy flight' to play a positive role in publicizing the city's culture and become a bridge linking the city's gourmet food and tourism with the rest of the world," said Zou Liping, vice-general manager of the brand quality management department of Chengdu Airlines.

Chengdu, as well as Sichuan province, has seen an increasing number of tourists from home and abroad in recent years. The passenger throughput of the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport exceeded 50 million last year.

Sichuan is home to giant pandas and many tourist attractions including Jiuzhaigou- a UNESCO World Heritage site, Mount Emei and a giant Buddha statue carved into a cliff in Leshan Mountain.