To talk about the state banquets of the Qing Dynasty, we have to start with the Guangxu wedding. It is said that in the fifteenth year of Guangxu (AD 1889), on the twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month, 19-year-old Zaitan got married to Yehenala, the daughter of Vice-Capital Guixiang. She was also the last person to marry from the Qing Dynasty. The queen (as for the later Wanrong, she married the emperor Xun, which can basically be ignored. According to the secret telegrams between the two sides during the peace talks between the north and the south, and according to the first draft drafted by Wang Jingwei, it should be called "Emperor Rang". Later, Wu Tingfang gave some face. , called the emperor, and treated him as a foreign monarch. Of course, this has nothing to do with this article and will be ignored). The wedding was said to have cost 5.5 million taels of silver, which was enough to feed nearly 2 million people for a year based on food prices at the time. Since it is a wedding, it means the completion of the coming-of-age ceremony, and the next step is the emperor's in-person administration, which is on the sixth day of February (March 7) of that year. On the third day after taking office, the Queen Mother issued an edict to entertain ministers from various countries to enhance friendship. This was the background of the first state banquet in the late Qing Dynasty.

The ninth day of February is sunny. At noon, the ministers of the eight countries (Baland of Germany, Tambei of the United States, Saburo Shiotana of Japan, Walson of the United Kingdom, Rodri of Spain, Kuman of Russia, Lime of France, and Weiliyong of Belgium), accompanied by translators and other accompanying personnel, arrived on time. The Prime Minister's Office located in Dongtangzi Hutong attended the banquet.

Zongli Yamen, at the lobby level of the West Hall. The 16 welcoming ministers (the 8 king ministers are: Co-organizer of the University, Fulong, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Xizhen, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Xu Gengshen, the Minister of Military Aircraft, Sun Yuwen, the Minister of Military Aircraft, and Sun Yuwen, the Minister of Criminal Affairs, Zeng Jize, the Right Minister of the Household Department, Xuchang, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, Liao Shouheng, the left minister of the Ministry of War, Xu Yongyi, the right minister of the Ministry of War: The eight military Zhang Jings are: Dong Shiyan, the doctor of the Ministry of Justice, Chen Cheng, Shu Wen, the doctor of the Ministry of Hubu, Wai Lang Chengzhang, the alternate member of the Ministry of Hubu, Yuan Xu, Yu Kuan, the doctor of the Ministry of Punishment Kong Qingfu, an alternate foreign minister, and Lu Haihuan, an alternate foreign minister of the Ministry of War).

Prime Minister’s Yamen, in the lobby of the West Hall. The general responsible person is King Qing Yikuang.

Noon, 12:30. In the west hall, the banquet was unfolding. The seats are based on the chief (King Qing) in the north of the center, and in the first row on the left, they are German, American, Japanese, British, Spanish, Russian, French, and Bi (the order is in order of closeness). The right row is for the ministers of the eight countries, and the eight seats are for the eight kings and ministers to welcome guests. Secondly, the attachés from various countries and the eight great Zhang Jing were seated on the left and right sides.

The pre-dinner snacks are: apples, Guangcheng oranges, Yali pears, candied dates (the four fruits from other provinces, except oranges, are all specialties of Qilu), local products of the capital, and various dried and fresh fruits.

The pre-dinner snacks are, the first course, bird's nest in clear soup with small stove steamed buns, the second course, pot roasted duck with Shaoxing daughter red (this is called an appetizer, it makes your mouth water, ^_^)

In a speech before the meal, the general representative of the Qing Dynasty, King Qing, said: "Today, in accordance with the decree, I hosted a banquet in honor of all the ministers... This is to mark the friendship between the Qing Dynasty and other countries. Every day seems like a close relationship. Thanks to the empress dowager's thirty years of virtue, my emperor will abide by the empress dowager's decree and wish you all the best in your life. The emperor, the queen, the monarch, the emperor, may you live long and prosperous lives." The German minister replied: " It is fitting that the prince's words of auspiciousness express his good intentions. . These two celebrations have been important events in your country since ancient times. What is the purpose of the celebration? Ji Li, one is that the emperor is in charge of the affairs, and the two are very concerned about the people of the world. On behalf of the minister, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Empress Dowager for her kindness, respect and prosperity, and her endless blessings. I hope that the harmony created by the Qing Dynasty and other countries will never be replaced. I also wish that the subjects of the Qing Dynasty will always enjoy the blessings of peace. A few days ago, the emperor personally decreed the great government. , I, on behalf of the ministers from all countries, wish the great emperor a long life and a hundred years of eternal happiness to the queen." (This foreigner, who is not at all on the road, actually bought the emperor to win. No wonder, in two years, the Queen Mother will ask the senior brother of the Boxer Rebellion to treat them to Germany. (Magic weapon)

The banquet officially started and the dishes were served, in order: boiled peas, steamed apples, fried yuanxiao, chicken velvet shark's fin, braised mutton, pao king melon, steamed pears, yellow eel head, add on Mandarin fish jelly, honey-roasted ham, mixed with turnip lettuce, roasted hawthorn, roasted yam spines, braised spring bamboo shoots, roasted suckling pig, soy lentils, cheese (these are all vegetables, how strange are the combinations?)

< p>Liquor, Zhuangyuan Nuerhong, Yinchen dew, rose dew, Acanthopanax bark and various tea drinks.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, King Qing toasted again, "May all the ministers and the counselors of the embassy and the following officials be safe and go smoothly in public and private matters", returned the gift, and dispersed. (I don’t know if packing is possible).

The next day, the emperor issued an edict that from now on every first month of the year, envoys from various countries would be entertained in this manner, and the tradition of state banquets in the Qing Dynasty began. . . . . .