Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic The phrase “moveable feast” often brings to mind the title of Ernest Hemingway’s memoir about his time in Paris in the 1920s, a nostalgic recollection in which the city lingers like a great meal. But what if a feast could physically move with you? Not just as delicious memories or edible souvenirs, but as something portable, like picnics, impromptu tables and meals designed for on-the-go eating.This concept of mobility in food culture is at the heart of A Movable Feast: The Culture of Food and Drink Culture in China, a forthcoming exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Opening this month to coincide with Hong Kong Art Week, it’s the brainchild of curator Nicole Chiang, who has spent years piecing together an expansive story of how food and dining culture in China have evolved through movement, trade and tradition. Jointly organised with the Palace Museum in Beijing, the exhibition features collections from both museums, along with loans from the British Museum, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and several museums in Hong Kong. Works on display include Qing-dynasty painter Ding Guanpeng’s lively handscroll “A Night Banquet at Peach and Plum Garden”.“Did you know there was never a dedicated dining room in the Forbidden City?” says Chiang. “Wherever the emperor was at that moment became the dining room. The imperial kitchen staff not only prepared meals, but carried tables and chairs, setting them up wherever needed.”There was never a dedicated dining room in the Forbidden City. Wherever the emperor was at that moment became the dining roomRather than focusing on imperial banquets, Chiang turns her attention to food vessels, cooking equipment, and even early forms of food delivery. The exhibition, which features more than 110 artefacts, calligraphy art works, paintings and picnic sets spanning 5,000 years from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), is structured around four chronological themes: “Crossing from Life to Death — Feeding the Spirits”, “Crossing Cultures — Nomadic Eating Practices”, “Crossing Mountains and Lakes — Packing the Perfect Picnic”, and “Crossing Time — The Heritage”.“It’s impossible to talk about Chinese food culture without mentioning the afterlife,” Chiang says, explaining that spiritual veneration remains prevalent across China today. Many homes have altars, with pictures of the deceased watching over the living. While rituals vary by region, they always involve food and incense.“It was important to serve the deceased as if they were still alive, ensuring they had enough food and drink.” The practice of “transferring” food and drink to the afterlife has been significant since the Han dynasty. She adds, “Earthenware burial objects shaped like granaries, wells, stoves, pigsties and chicken coops were common. These practices reinforced societal order and became powerful symbols of status.”Through nomadic people and foreign merchants along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes ran through China, across the Pamir mountains, through Afghanistan and into the Levant and Anatolia. Central and west Asian traders introduced tables and chairs to China during the Tang (618-907) and Song (970-1279) dynasties and completely transformed the way people ate. “Originally, people sat on individual mats with their utensils,” Chiang says. “But the arrival of tables and chairs led to communal dining.” The movement of people, objects, and ideas brought new ingredients and cooking techniques. Traders introduced staple ingredients such as wheat, black pepper, walnuts and sesame, which sparked culinary innovations. Techniques such as milling, boiling, baking and steaming — some of the oldest techniques in Chinese cuisine that are still used today — were shaped by the influence of central and west Asian traders.“One standout artefact [from the Tang dynasty] is a large silver-footed platter, designed for serving flatbreads (hubing), fresh fruit and sushan, a delicate shaved ice dessert,” Chiang says. “These nomadic staples became woven into Chinese culinary tradition, transforming how food was prepared, shared and enjoyed.” This shift from individual to communal dining is reflected in an earthenware phoenix-head ewer from the period, a vessel that highlights the evolution of drinking culture. Instead of ladling wine from jars, diners adopted the nomadic custom of pouring from pitchers, changing how wine was served at the table.China’s early travel culture led to a growing need for outdoor dining. For much of its history, travel was dangerous and costly. The most common travellers were merchants, government officials, scholars and Buddhist pilgrims. Eating outside for pleasure was frowned upon and often associated with improper behaviour and lower social classes, such as outcasts, criminals and exiles. It wasn’t until the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that significant transportation improvements made travel safer and more accessible. This shift paved the way for the rise of outdoor dining, as mass tourism grew and the demand for portable dining solutions and compartmentalised picnic boxes emerged; they became a defining feature of the era.“This is the first exhibition to prominently feature ancient Chinese picnic sets,” Chiang says. “Most people don’t pay any serious attention to picnic boxes because picnics were not as seen as ‘proper’ meals.” One of Chiang’s most surprising discoveries was possibly one of the earliest forms of food delivery, like a 16th-century version of Deliveroo, Foodpanda or DoorDash. “I found records from the Qing dynasty where customers asked restaurants to prepare food in picnic boxes,” Chiang explains. “They then delivered picnics to docks, where travellers could collect them as they passed by.”At its core, it’s a reminder that food is never static — it migrates, adapts and absorbs new influences, much like the people who make and consume it. “Whether it’s steaming techniques, the joy of outdoor dining or the rituals of food sharing,” Chiang says, “these traditions remain deeply relevant today. We all eat, but food highlights the enduring link between past and present, offering a fresh insight into how we eat and why it matters.”March 19-June 18, hkpm.org.hkFind out about our latest stories first — follow FT Weekend on Instagram and X, and sign up to receive the FT Weekend newsletter every Saturday morning
