The characteristics of Michelin-starred restaurants in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan

Chinese culinary culture has a long history of development and has unique characteristics, attracting people from all over the world. As a world-renowned restaurant award, the Michelin Guide in China plays an influential role in introducing Chinese culinary culture to the world and destination branding, while few studies have investigated Michelin-starred restaurants (MSRs) in China. This study thus investigates 220 MSRs in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan by conducting website analysis with their official websites, WeChat official accounts, and Facebook official pages. According to the three fine-dining strategies this study examines seven elements that the restaurants use to communicate and attract customers online, including menu and awards indicating “making it deluxe”; sustainability, locality, and authenticity indicating “making it pure”; and restaurant story and chef biography indicating “making it surprising”. The results indicate that China's MSRs are more likely to emphasise authenticity and awards in distinguishing themselves, while locality and sustainability are less mentioned, such positioning might have implications for culinary heritage and destination marketing in the longer term.