A Chinese cooking activity, a key part of the ongoing Shanghai Tourist Festival, provided great entertainment for all participants Thursday.

Wives of senior leaders of some big overseas companies and foreign envoys from over 10 countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia and France, managed to prepare some typical Chinese dishes following the instructions and examples of senior Chinese cooks.

Jacqueline Kerckhofs, who came to Shanghai six months ago with her husband, the president of Alcatal China Co., Ltd., was not satisfied with her "invention".

"I made a mistake. I should have put salt instead of sugar in the dish," she said, "but I enjoy Chinese cooking very much."

The cooking program, started three years ago in an old hotel here, has become quite popular among foreigners.

(Xinhua News Agency 09/27/2001)