Chinese Dish

Documentary dishes out culture and commentary

When thinking of China, foreign tourists might imagine the magnificent Forbidden City or the winding Great Wall, women sashaying in embroidered cheongsams, and young men studying calligraphy. But for many Westerners, China is primarily experienced through the delights of Chinese food.

The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World, a four-part documentary series based on the West Lake Restaurant in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, reveals modern China through a restaurant's daily events.

In 2008, a BBC manager visited Guangdong Province for a meeting and ate supper at a local seafood restaurant. It was there the manager thought of producing a documentary about Chinese food, sending a British director to film at local restaurants.

Although a great deal of time was spent filming, the desired product failed to materialize. BBC then found Chinese director Chen Weijun, whose documentary Please Vote for Me was nominated for an Oscar in 2007.

"I happened to see a report about the West Lake Restaurant, awarded the largest Chinese restaurant in the world by the China Records, the Chinese Guinness World of Records. So I told them we should film at a restaurant like this," said Chen.

West Lake Restaurant

Opening its doors in 2004, the West Lake Restaurant occupies 58,000 square meters. Its grandiose architecture imitates ancient Chinese imperial buildings, from the lakes to the walls. The restaurant has a capacity for 5,000 customers and has 1,000 employees, including 300 chefs distributed in five kitchens. The staff is managed as a mini troop, lining up every morning to sing songs and recite synchronized mottos together. Chen said this gigantic restaurant epitomizes modern Chinese society.

"There's a saying that 'people regard eating as the most important thing, close to heaven.' At a restaurant, we deal not only with dining, but with important matters like contract signing. What happens at a restaurant reflects society. Ideas about business, marriage, morality, education, and other important matters are all talked about here. By examining this restaurant and its patrons, you can even see the huge change in people's material wealth from the past to the present."

"The BBC thought [the concept of filming at the restaurant] was a good idea, so we worked on it," said Chen, who spent over 100 hours at the West Lake to film the documentary.

The raw deal

The documentary presents three banquets at the West Lake Restaurant, a marriage banquet, a birthday for a senior, and a birthday for a month-old baby. These scenes depict Chinese eating traditions and a varied class structure, with a range of people from all economical backgrounds, from the staff to the customers.