Fancy a state banquet? Try ordering it on Tmall

With Spring Festival fast approaching, many are preparing for family reunion dinners on Lunar New Year's Eve, which falls on Feb 7.

Some high-end choices, which are usually served to visiting leaders, will be on offer for the occasion, according to a report on thepaper.cn.

State banquet dishes are to be sold as Lunar New Year's Eve dinners on Tmall, the Chinese online retail website run by Alibaba Group Holding.

The move has been announced by Diaoyutai Food and Biotechnology, a business set up by the Diaoyutai State Guest House, which entertains visiting foreign leaders. It is the first time that the state banquet provider has gone into business.

The dishes on offer in the package include Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (varieties of abalone or sea cucumber soup, see picture), Lion's Head (meat balls) and Braised Prawns.

But the service is not cheap - a set meal comprising four dishes and one soup costs about 4,000 yuan ($617).

This year, the New Year state banquet dinner is limited to 6,000 sets and is only available for customers in Beijing and Tianjin.

State banquets are held for visiting leaders and other distinguished guests during festivals or on other important occasions. They are held either in the Great Hall of the People or the Diaoyutai State Guest House, and the dishes are a fusion of different cuisines from across China and are also drawn from other countries.

The first state banquet for New China was held on Oct 1, 1949, the day the People's Republic of China was founded. The menu included dishes such as Stewed Lion's Head and Braised Carp.

For Chinese, the reunion dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve is an important ritual during Spring Festival. No matter where they usually live, most Chinese manage to return home for the most important meal of the year.

Traditional food served at the family reunions includes dumplings, glutinous rice balls, fish and rice cakes.

machi@chinadaily.com.cn