Guided tour of the exhibition Fine Dining: Food Stories of Ancient China

What role has cooking and eating played in the past and present of the Chinese people? How has gastronomy shaped everyday life, traditions, thinking and even politics? How important is culinary culture in China? 

From raw food to sophisticated dishes, ancient China witnessed a series of culinary revolutions and cultural transformation over the centuries, as traditional Chinese thinking has been strongly reflected in the art of cooking. The country not only offers sophisticated and functionally varied cutlery and crockery, but also refined cooking methods and a vast collection of works documenting its various dishes. China’s food culture, stemming from its culinary practice, has manifested itself in philosophical ideas such as "the right blend of five tastes" or "harmony in diversity". It has also inspired many political words of wisdom, such as "Governing a big state is like cooking a small fish: it must be handled with great care", and also led to beliefs such as "medicine and food come from the same source" or "food can heal and give life"... 

To participate in the programme, you must buy a ticket and pay a guided tour fee. Both tickets can be purchased online and on site.

Tickets for the exhibition

Tickets for the guided tour