Customers buy instant river snail rice noodles in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Jan 1, 2016.[Photo/VCG]

River snail rice noodles undoubtedly give the city a new way out. The specialty, whose creation was listed as part of Guangxi's intangible cultural heritage in 2008, has become one of the most sought-after dishes after the hit documentary A Bite of China mentioned it in 2012.

But its development can be attributed to a government project six years ago, which encouraged more river snail rice noodle restaurants to be opened in bigger cities outside Guangxi.

Cheng Fangxiao, director with Liuzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce, said around 5,000 river snail rice noodle restaurants can be found in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and even in the United States and Canada.

"The online market also expanded at the end of 2014 when local plants improved food production and packing techniques to develop instant versions of the rice noodles with a shelf life ranging from 30 days to 180 days," said Ni Zhaoyang, president of river snail rice noodle association in Liuzhou.