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Qing Dynasty
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During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) there were all kinds of palace banquets. Grand banquets were held for a number of reasons; when a new emperor came into power, when the government changed its title of reign, when a war was won, for the Spring Festival, or for special birthdays. Fish, deer and pork were very important food in the Mancu's daily life. The method they used for cooking was usually either toasting or boiling. After their occupation of the former Han areas and in order to strengthen their control of the Han people, they made a large number of former Han officials, landlords and scholars, their officials. In order to satisfy both the Han and the Mancu, banquets during the Qing Dynasty were divided into two forms-the Han banquet and the Mancu banquet.
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The Qing Dynasty was the second time when the whole of China was ruled by foreigners, the Manchu. The first time was during the Yuan Dynasty when China was controlled by the Mongols. The Qing Dynasty lasted from 1644-1911 A.D. The reigns of the first three emperors of this dynasty were a time of peace and prosperity for China. These three rulers provided strong leadership for 133 years; they were the Kangxi Emperor who reigned from 1662-1722 A.D., the Yongzheng Emperor who reigned from 1722-1736 A.D. and the Qianglong Emperor who reigned from 1736-1796 A.D. In terms of government, the Qing Dynasty adopted the form of government used by the Ming, with only minor adjustments. For example the positions were all dual positions, one Manchu and one Chinese were in the same position, with the Manchu having more power. The form of military organization that the Qing used was one of the best in the world.
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After Emperor Qianlong, the Qing Dynasty gradually declined. The later successors Emperor Jiaqing and Daoguang didn't have the enterprising spirit, and they just kept using the old policies to continue their sovereign. From Emperor Daoguang's rule in 1812, some western countries had started to invade China economic market. They opened the door of China by opium which poisoned lots of Chinese people and made a large amount of silver flow out. To solve the problem, Emperor Daoguang appointed Lin Zexu as Prime Minister to take charge of banning on opium-smoking and opium trade in Guangdong. After coming to Guangzhou, Lin Zexu cracked down the tobacconists and confiscated over two million tons of opium.
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In its early years, the Qing Dynasty witnessed a flourishing that was unprecedented by any other age. In order to mitigate class conflicts, the Qing pursued a policy of rewarding land cultivation coupled with a reduction or exemption from taxation. These policies promoted economic growth in the hinterland and on the frontiers of the country. During the reigns of Emperors Kangxi (1622-1723), Yongzheng (1723-1736) and Qianlong (1736-1796) saw the Qing at its heyday. By the mid-18th century economic development reached a new height. With this new prosperity power became more centralized, national strength increased, a well-maintained social order and a population that amounted to some 300 million by the end of the century.
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In the middle period of the Qing Dynasty, the folk customs and cultures of the Mancu and Han became gradually blended, which promoted the development of a Qing Dynasty palace food culture where the two styles became mixed. During the period of Emperor Kangxi and Qianlong, when society and politics were stable and the economy was flourishing, luxurious customs became popular. It is said that when Emperor Kangxi first tasted the full Mancu-Han banquet, and wrote down its four characters, the banquet became famous in the palace, and became popular with nobles and rich businessmen. The materials used to cook the food were varied, and a characteristic of the food was that it looked very beautiful and tasted delicious, the only disadvantage was that the price was very high. As time went on, Mongolian, Hui and Tibetan foods were added in this banquet, so the Mancu-Han Banquet became a five- nation banquet, later known as the combined banquet. The exquisite appearance of the food had never been seen before and it became the most colorful and luxurious banquet in Chinese history.
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The Qing Dynasty (清朝, 1644–1911) was founded after the defeat of the Ming, the last Han Chinese dynasty, by the Manchus (滿æ—). The Manchus were formerly known as the Jurchen and invaded from the north in the late seventeenth century. For many decades, historians did not understand the differences between the Manchu rulers and their Chinese subjects. Even though the Manchus started out as alien conquerors, they quickly adopted the Confucian norms of traditional Chinese government. They eventually ruled in the manner of traditional native dynasties.
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Qing Dynasty