The foodie group comprises the comedians Yue Yunpeng and Yang Di, the singer Liu Yuxin, and the actors Zheng Kai and Ding Yuxi.

The first stop on their trip is Shanghai, followed by Harbin, then Guiyang in Guizhou province.

Wang Hailong, director of the show, says the aim was to create a food culture show that is simple and funny.

"It's just a group of friends visiting a strange city, and they may find a local as a guide to explore local food and culture. We hope what the guests do in the show, including the game of rock, paper and scissors, can be replicated when a bunch of friends is traveling.

"We hope to remind our audience that no matter how hard it is pursuing one's dream, you shouldn't forget to eat well."

The Dakaba Chihuotuan team visited the cities guided by local gourmets as they sought to choose the signature dishes, Wang says.

"Each city has a lot of delicious food, and we found about 30 dishes before narrowing it down to nine. We eliminated dishes that locals might like but that did not have local features such as fried potato slices."