A delegation from the National Museum of China visited the Baoding Banquet and Food Museum for research.

Using brilliant history to tell the Chinese story well, presenting colorful Chinese culture through distinctive exhibition halls, and meeting the growing spiritual and cultural needs of the masses is the glorious mission of museums at all levels in the new era.

On the morning of May 13, a team of four experts from the National Museum of China visited Baoding to conduct in-depth research on various museums and guide operational construction work. The Baoding Banquet and Food Museum, as a new cultural tourism landmark of our city, became the first stop of this visit.

The Baoding Banquet and Food Museum is a national registered professional museum showcasing the country's intangible cultural heritage cuisine.——It is a national registered professional museum of the Zhili official cuisine skills. The rise and prosperity of this cuisine are closely linked to the construction and status of Baoding during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. One cuisine builds one exhibition hall, and one exhibition hall recreates one ancient city, which is the unique charm of the Baoding Banquet and Food Museum.

As a national historical and cultural city, Baoding has many cultural landmarks. Reproducing the city's prosperity and preserving the shared memories of generations is the content presented in the first-floor area. Following the route of "Chicken Water Ringing Clear," the national museum experts entered the "Ten Thousand Homes and Lights" area to learn about the construction and glory of Xidajie and the fate changes of Laomahao.This is one of the supports for the development of Baoding's food culture over hundreds of years, and an important witness to Baoding's food culture. Special brands like "Black Girl Dumplings" and "Elm Noodle" have legendary historical stories behind them, and in front of them are steaming delicious foods, serving the public with snacks, bringing intangible cultural heritage closer to the people. This form of "edible museum" has received nods of approval from the experts.

The skills of "Zhili Official Cuisine," as a national intangible cultural heritage project, are the brightest pearl in the history of Baoding's food development. In the professional museum exhibition area, the guide introduced the urban layout and development of the catering industry in Baoding since the Yuan Dynasty, the contributions of the Zhili Governor's Office and various official kitchens to Baoding's food, the banquet specifications of the Governor's Office and Lianchi Palace, and the classics of Zhili official cuisine. As an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage and a culinary master, Mr. Liang Lianqi shared the struggles and efforts of generations of chefs in Baoding to uphold and promote Baoding cuisine and Hebei cuisine from the perspective of a practitioner. The expert team often paused in front of the exhibits to watch carefully.

Upon reaching the Lianchi Food Academy, the experts saw the records of Baoding's catering professionals regarding the industry's progress since the reform and opening up, and their pride in participating in the construction of history. In the library containing thousands of old recipe books, the classics of various dynasties stand as monuments to Chinese culinary culture, with yellowed pages and ink marks representing the wisdom of ancestors in exploring the taste of food.The "Tuning the Cauldron and Condensing the Li" Qing Dynasty birthday banquet album made Mr. Liang Lianqi emotionally talk about this culture, motivating and constantly urging himself and his team.

Food is the essence of life. The Baoding Banquet and Food Museum will continue to uphold its original intention and enhance the quality of life for the public with the flavors of Baoding.

A nation is soulfully defined by its culture. The Baoding Banquet and Food Museum will certainly implement the suggestions of the expert leaders, strive to create an excellent exhibition hall, and tell the hometown stories of Baoding, Hebei.