[Video] Why young Chinese are paying to ‘time-travel’ at dinner
More people in China are buying into the recent trend of immersive dining at themed restaurants, which offer diners an opportunity to experience Chinese history and culture, from dressing up in costumes from various dynasties to being part of familiar classics like Dream of the Red Chamber. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yush Chau dives in.
“I just wanted to experience what it feels like to travel back to ancient times. There really aren’t many restaurants with this kind of concept. We usually go for seafood buffets or Japanese cuisine, but there’s nothing new or exciting about it. Here, not only are there performances to watch, the dishes are also exquisitely prepared.”
Madam Ma, 44, from Beijing’s Fangshan district, told Lianhe Zaobao that shortly before this year’s Spring Festival, she took her 17-year-old daughter to an immersive dining experience in Beijing — Yan Wai Yan (宴外宴, lit. “banquet outside the banquet”) — to celebrate her birthday.
Yan Wai Yan opened in September last year and blends dining with culture. Themed around the Chinese literary classic Dream of the Red Chamber, it allows guests to enjoy immersive performances while eating, with a meal lasting up to two hours.
On the day of the interview, I not only met parents like Mdm Ma who were willing to pay for the “emotional value” in bringing their children for the experience, but also many young people who are passionate about traditional Chinese culture.
A shared experience
Among them was Xiaozhou, a 26-year-old woman from Nanjing. A fan of period dramas, she took her Dutch boyfriend, Tim, to Yan Wai Yan while visiting Beijing. Before dining, the pair changed into traditional costumes for photos, fully embracing the sense of occasion.
In terms of pricing, immersive dining shows are by no means cheap: dinner costs more than lunch, and seats get more expensive the closer they are to the stage. For example, for lunch at Yan Wai Yan, adult tickets start from 300 RMB (US$43), while tickets for children start from 200 RMB. Make-up and costume-changing services are charged separately at an additional 100 RMB each.
Even so, in less than six months since opening, Yan Wai Yan has already built up a steady following. Its operations director, Li Lijun, revealed that the venue can accommodate nearly 180 guests, with occupancy hitting 95% on weekends and public holidays, and around 70% on weekdays. About half of its customers are Beijing residents, 20% are corporate clients, and the remaining 30% are visitors or tourists.
In recent years, the consumption structure of Chinese households has shifted from being primarily goods-based to placing equal emphasis on both goods and services. At the end of January, authorities unveiled a plan to spur new growth in service consumption by supporting experience-based services with economy-wide benefits.
“Cultural and tourism consumption has been booming over the past two years, with customers’ demand for a “dining + culture” experience becoming increasingly obvious. We wanted to see if we could combine banquets with themed cultural elements and carve out a new path.” — Zhang Xuanrong, Project Manager, Wang Shun Ge’s Jing Hua Yan
At a State Council Information Office briefing in early February, Kong Dejun, director-general of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce, said consumer demand is shifting from simply having services to seeking better-quality, more personalised and diverse experiences.
Rui Meng, Professor of Finance and Accounting at the China Europe International Business School, observed that China’s Generation Z places greater emphasis on autonomy and self-expression. “They are drawn to services that offer a more tangible sense of emotional value and have a stronger need for social interaction,” he said.
Chinese traditional restaurateurs are also adapting to this trend. Wang Shun Ge (旺顺阁), a Chinese dining chain specialising in yutou paobing (鱼头泡饼, lit. “fish head with soaked bread”) for over 20 years, launched an immersive dining show called Jing Hua Yan (京华宴), themed on Dream of the Red Chamber, at its Shijingshan branch in Beijing at the end of January.
Innovation and new ideas
Zhang Xuanrong, project manager of Wang Shun Ge’s Jing Hua Yan, said that foot traffic in traditional large restaurants has fallen noticeably in recent years, making a comprehensive change necessary. “We’re not chasing trends; we simply have to adapt. Cultural and tourism consumption has been booming over the past two years, with customers’ demand for a “dining + culture” experience becoming increasingly obvious. We wanted to see if we could combine banquets with themed cultural elements and carve out a new path.”
He admitted that in today’s fiercely competitive market, traditional service industries are seeking innovation and breakthroughs. Running a restaurant by simply “cooking good food” is no longer enough to meet customer expectations; emotional and cultural value have become equally important.
The project involves a total investment of nearly 3 million RMB, mainly for hiring professional directors and performance teams, renovating the venue, and marketing and promotion. “We are in the restaurant business, not theatre, so we had to choose an IP that is both ‘delicious and performable’.”
... immersive dining shows have recently emerged across mainland China, often drawing on traditional Chinese aesthetics. They allow diners to feel as if they have travelled through time, revisiting classic Chinese literature or stepping into the court culture of different dynasties.
Zhang explained that Dream of the Red Chamber was chosen as the theme for three reasons: first, the novel contains extensive descriptions of food, health and banquets, which naturally align with the company’s catering business; second, it is widely recognised nationally, requiring little market education; and third, its aesthetic style easily lends itself to immersive experiences, helping to create differentiation.
Developing themed IPs for international expansion
Beyond Yan Wai Yan and Wang Shun Ge’s Jing Hua Yan, immersive dining shows have recently emerged across mainland China, often drawing on traditional Chinese aesthetics. They allow diners to feel as if they have travelled through time, revisiting classic Chinese literature or stepping into the court culture of different dynasties.
According to an analysis by Chinese catering industry media canyin88.com, immersive dining shows are essentially a form of experiential consumption, which places high demands on food, performance, service, and every other aspect. Any “cutting corners” in these areas can significantly undermine the consumer experience, leading to a concentrated outbreak of negative reviews for “high price, low quality”.
Expansion and sustainability
Insiders say quality food and performances are enough to keep customers loyal, even amid concerns about homogenisation. Meanwhile, some brands are taking themed IPs overseas for standardised expansion.
Founded in Beijing in 2021, Gong Yan (宫宴) has opened branches in Shanghai and Hangzhou, changing its dynastic themes every quarter. The Beijing location is currently staging a themed dance theatre inspired by the Northern Song masterpiece A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, having previously performed Chang Hen Ge (长恨歌, Song of Everlasting Sorrow), which depicts the tragic romance of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei.
Feng Zhihui, office director of Gong Yan, explained that the Beijing branch can accommodate 108 guests, with reservations opening ten days in advance and seats selling out quickly. During the off-season, about 70% of customers are domestic tourists and 30% are international; in peak season, the split is roughly even.
China does not lack restaurants, but it does lack venues that can present Chinese culture in a more relaxed, contemporary and international way. — a spokesperson for the Xu Yan (叙宴) brand
He stressed that performances must be carefully crafted, with “substance” to retain customers. Also, equal importance is placed on both performance and cuisine, which are adjusted according to the season and theme, never compromising food quality over the show.
A spokesperson for the Xu Yan (叙宴) brand, founded in Shanghai in 2024, said that China does not lack restaurants, but it does lack venues that can present Chinese culture in a more relaxed, contemporary and international way.
“Much traditional cultural expression is either too solemn or too abstract for the younger generation to truly engage with. Xu Yan aims to make culture part of everyday life — through dining, watching performances, and interactive photography — so that culture happens naturally rather than being passively received.”
At present, Xu Yan has in the past two years developed themed IPs such as Xu Dunhuang (《叙敦煌》), A Wonderful Night in Chang’an (《妙游长安夜》), Nezha (《哪吒》), The Bund 1930 (《外滩1930》) and Harmony of Ten Thousand Nations (《万邦和鸣》), rapidly expanding to Beijing, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Taizhou and other cities. In January, Xu Yan opened its first Southeast Asian branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with plans to expand to Indonesia and Singapore, as well as to go into European and American cities such as Los Angeles, London and Paris.
This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “以中国风为抓手 沉浸式餐秀满足情绪价值”.
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