BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Three Chinese cities have been designated as part of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Creative Cities Network, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

Suzhou and Jingdezhen in east China's Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces are designated as "Cities of Crafts and Folk Art". Shunde in south China's Guangdong Province was name part of the "Cities of Gastronomy."

As of present, eight Chinese cities have been listed in the network, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Chengdu. A total of 69 cities from 32 countries worldwide have been listed in the network.

The Creative Cities Network was established by the UNESCO in 2004 and includes seven categories.

Aimed at boosting innovation and maintaining cultural diversity, it encourages member cities to share experience in promoting the local heritage, so as to cope with the influx of globalization.