1, cook three dishes and one soup. At the state banquet in China, the previous menu should strictly follow the standard of "four dishes and one soup". But by the end of 1990s and the beginning of this century, the standard of state banquet began to try "three dishes and one soup" or "two dishes and one soup".

In 1960s, Chairman Mao gave a series of instructions on the specifications of state banquets. In a conversation, he criticized: "The current banquet specifications are too high, and there is not much to throw away, which wastes the country's materials in vain. Serving bird's nest and shark's fin costs a lot of money and is not affordable. Some things foreigners don't eat at all. We invite foreigners. I think' four dishes and one soup' will do. "

3. Since then, Zhou Enlai has stipulated that the standard of state banquets in the future is "four dishes and one soup". Half a century later, the state banquet basically maintained this standard.

At that time, a state banquet was held for foreign heads of state, and the menu was strictly in accordance with the standard of "four dishes and one soup". But by the end of 1990s and the beginning of this century, the standard of state banquet began to try "three dishes and one soup" or "two dishes and one soup".

5. At noon on August 24th, 2008, Hu Jintao, then president, hosted an "Olympic State Banquet" at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for the distinguished guests attending the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, with the standard of "three dishes and one soup".