The Qing dynasty employed a two-meal system. Two main meals were eaten each day: breakfast from six to seven o’clock and lunch from twelve to fourteen o’clock (referred to as the evening meal during the Qing dynasty). From the afternoon to the evening hours, the imperial chefs would prepare various snacks or refreshments for the emperor to eat at his discretion, so he did not have to worry about going hungry.

Besides daily meals, the imperial chefs also prepared various banquets to celebrate special occasions, such as New Year’s Day, the emperor’s birthday, the emperor’s wedding, victorious battles, and weddings of princesses. In 1761, the Qianlong Emperor held a large banquet attended by princes, nobles, ministers of civil and military affairs, Mongolian leaders, and hundreds of officers and soldiers of the Western Expedition. In Imperial Banquet at the Pavilion of Purple Brightness, painted by Yao Wenhan, the imperial chefs can be seen at the back, quietly preparing the feast and going back and forth to deliver dishes.