During the winter months, the emperors of the Qing dynasty enjoyed having hot pot just like people do nowadays. The Qianlong Emperor was the biggest fan of them all, enjoying the dish no matter the season. During his reign, hot pot was part of the main course of the Banquet for Elderly Men. The first-class tables were served two hot pot dishes, one in a silver vessel and another in a tin vessel, while the second-class tables were served two hot pot dishes in two cooper vessels. The unprecedented grand banquet invited over a thousand of aged princes, ministers, soldiers, ordinary people, etc., to enjoy the feast.

The vessels in which hot pot was served in the Qing court were referred to as yewei jiahuo (game dishes). They were mainly made of silver or materials such as enamel. Common hot pot ingredients included pork, venison, mutton, and chicken. In ancient times, cattle were mainly used for farm work, so beef was rarely eaten. The emperor also used a heat-retaining huowan. Its container at the bottom can hold fuel for heating. It is like our popular mini hot pot or “one-person-one-pot” nowadays.