Abstract

The ‘Plum blossom banquet’ is a simple form of banquet that emerged in the 70’s and was promoted by several political and social groups in Taiwan at that time. In its appearance, the promotion of plum blossom banquet related only to the customary strategy of modern political groups, however, by looking into historical data closely, we can find that similar ideas existed in the first half of the 20th century, and thrift was its goal.
　　According to historical data, there have been several calls for the reform of Chinese feasts in the 20th century. Although there was no direct cause-and-effect relationship between them, they were substantially similar, which is the idea that thrift is the embodiment of morality. In fact, the concept of thrifty eating and drinking, as well as thrifty banquets, is often only an “undercurrent” or an idea just held by certain classes of people, and it never forms a broad consensus. However, in times of rapid change, it will be promoted as the final goal of reformation. In this regard, the plum blossom banquet taking the form of five dishes and one soup during the economic take-off generation of Taiwan was a perfect example.
　　This article will discuss this phenomenon through the following three approaches: first, an account of the history of the formation and promotion of the plum blossom banquet. Second, an exploration of the reasons why the plum blossom banquet was not widely appreciated. And finally, an analysis of the background in thought and cognition. The main purpose of this article is to outline social and political implications for the reform of banqueting.