What did the Emperors of the Tang and Song dynasties actually eat? We went to Gong Yan (宫宴) on Qianmen Street (前门大街) in Beijing for a fully immersive, multi-course Imperial Court dining experience complete with traditional hanfu dressing, live court performances, and ancient Chinese culinary rituals.

In this video, we show you every dish, the ritualized service, the historic costumes, and whether this viral Beijing dining experience is actually worth the price!

📍 Location Details:

• Restaurant: Gong Yan (宫宴)

• Area: Qianmen Street / Dashilan, Beijing, China (北京市前门大街)

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Arriving via Qianmen Street
00:56 - Costume Changing Area
01:15 - Tea
01:23 - Menu and Program
01:49 - Wine Pouring Dance
02:09 - Pastry Appetizers
03:06 - Start of the Show
03:56 - Sacrificial Ritual Dance
08:39 - Tofu Making Introduction
09:29 - Tofu Pork Belly Soup
09:42 - Welcoming Dance
14:13 - Seafood Soup
14:36 - Musical Performance
17:53 - Musical Encore
21:29 - Crispy Beef
21:54 - Wang Ximeng Artist Introduction
26:10 - Artistic Dance
28:43 - Solo Artistic Performance
32:53 - Lion's Head Meatball Soup
33:00 - Royal Dress Fashion Show
33:58 - Comedic Crowd Interaction Bit
37:33 - Dance from Far Away
39:45 - Song Dynasty Teachings
41:12 - Song Dynasty Dance
42:20 - New Years Celebrations
44:47 - Candied Haw Stick
45:41 - Imperial Fried Shrimp
45:53 - Longevity Noodles
48:48 - Concubines Dance
49:34 - Chinese Opera Style Performance
53:28 - Cast Taking a Bow
56:13 - Kitchen Staff Taking a Bow
57:15 - Fruit Plate
57:24 - Beef Noodle Soup
57:34 - Dessert
57:49 - Review

💬 Question for you: Would you dress up in Hanfu for a dinner like this? Let me know in the comments!

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