Qingtian develops a taste for Western cuisine

HANGZHOU — A line had already formed by 10 am outside a restaurant named La Vita in Italia in Qingtian county, East China's Zhejiang province. Tourists from across China waited patiently for a bite of its famed pizza quattro stagioni, a traditional Italian pizza topped with four different flavors.

While many Chinese cities are tapping into local specialties to draw visitors, Qingtian, nestled in rolling mountains, is betting on croissants, cappuccinos and carbonara. And it is a wager that is proving a winner. The county, with fewer than 200,000 permanent residents, now hosts more than 100 Western-style bakeries and restaurants.

Local data reveal that Qingtian consumes over 2 million portions of steak and more than 120 metric tons of coffee beans every year.