What Dishes Were Served at the State Banquet During Nixon’s 1972 Visit to China?

How Was the Quality of the Dishes at the Chinese State Banquet at That Time?

In 1972, an extraordinary handshake took place in our country — it crossed the world’s broadest ocean and over twenty years of hostility, shaking the world.

This was the historic handshake that occurred during US President Nixon’s visit to China.

Since then, Sino-US relations normalized, and Nixon became the first sitting US president in history to visit China.

Many people are curious about the behind-the-scenes of this event. How did China show its hospitality to such an important guest?

What exactly was on the “menu” during Nixon’s visit to China? What did state banquets feature in that era? And how did Nixon evaluate this trip to China?

1. Welcoming Nixon to China

Let’s first understand the historical context of Nixon’s visit to China.

At that time, during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, the US, in a disadvantaged position, urgently needed to seek cooperation with other countries to balance power with the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, China, with its relationship with the Soviet Union at a freezing point, was the best…