Many Chinese citizens who have never had a chance to visit Hejian in North China's Hebei Province must have eaten a specialty snack named after the county-level city - lurou huoshao or donkey meat burger.

To promote this unique cuisine and attract tourists, Hejian has launched the First Donkey Burger Tourism Festival in early May. Directed by Wang Shouyue from Beijing, a movie featuring this local specialty is also being shot in the city, which neighbors the newly established Xiong'an New Area.

Statistics indicate that more than 50,000 people from Hejian are involved in the business of donkey meat burger around the nation with an annual output of 7 billion yuan ($102 million), making it one of the most famous home-made fast foods in China.

Walking in the streets of the city, one could easily notice donkey burger restaurants. The traditional cuisine has been integrated into the ordinary people's life, becoming an important part of northern China's diet. Donkey burger stores can be found in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan and other surrounding cities.

Chinese people reckon donkey meat is as delicious as dragon meat, even though no one has never seen or eaten the latter. Donkey meat is high in protein, low in cholesterol and has a finer fiber than beef, experts say. Sliced donkey meat is stewed and served between two pieces of ciabatta-like bread to make a Hejian-style sandwich.

Originated from Caohe township in neighboring Xushui county, the food is better known as Hejian donkey burger around the nation although the city used to be a traditional producer of grains and cotton. Donkeys have been used as working animals by human beings for at least 5,000 years.