- Home
- Conferences
- Reviews
- 2026 International Conference on Chinese Food Culture
- Panel 5-1 Banquet Reform and the Introduction of Western Dining Customs during the Early Republican Era: Observations From the Perspective of Ritual /Yuan-Peng Chen
Panel 5-1 Banquet Reform and the Introduction of Western Dining Customs during the Early Republican Era: Observations From the Perspective of Ritual /Yuan-Peng Chen
Yuan-Peng Chen
Professor, Department of History, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan
Historical records show that Western cuisine was consistently discussed in newspapers and magazines primarily read by the urban middle class during the early Republican era. This coverage included translations, reports, comparisons and methods of preparation. It mushroomed and became the new favorite of various media. Civilization was the goal of this type of writing; comparison was their common essence, and transformation was manifested in the introduction and preparation of new customs. Among these, banquets, where people gather to eat, offer an example more easily demonstrated than individual choices, and is the primary focus of this article.
This article examines how, within the transformations of banquets during this period, we can perceive a more civilized approach to dining. While this is admittedly a subjective perception, subsequent developments, including the composition of dishes, the order of presentations, the improvement of tableware, budget allocation, and even the new topics of conversation during banquets, clearly demonstrate the ritualistic nature of this transformation, which was a pursuit of civilization grounded in food culture. From traditional to modern, all these initiatives serve as rituals offered by their proponents and practitioners to the general public as an approach to civilization.
Keywords: banquet, ritual, food, transformation, Republican era
Professor, Department of History, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan
Historical records show that Western cuisine was consistently discussed in newspapers and magazines primarily read by the urban middle class during the early Republican era. This coverage included translations, reports, comparisons and methods of preparation. It mushroomed and became the new favorite of various media. Civilization was the goal of this type of writing; comparison was their common essence, and transformation was manifested in the introduction and preparation of new customs. Among these, banquets, where people gather to eat, offer an example more easily demonstrated than individual choices, and is the primary focus of this article.
This article examines how, within the transformations of banquets during this period, we can perceive a more civilized approach to dining. While this is admittedly a subjective perception, subsequent developments, including the composition of dishes, the order of presentations, the improvement of tableware, budget allocation, and even the new topics of conversation during banquets, clearly demonstrate the ritualistic nature of this transformation, which was a pursuit of civilization grounded in food culture. From traditional to modern, all these initiatives serve as rituals offered by their proponents and practitioners to the general public as an approach to civilization.
Keywords: banquet, ritual, food, transformation, Republican era