Coming to the Zhangzhou Pien Tze Huang Hotel this time to experience the Imperial Feast, I specially prepared a golden ancient-style skirt set, intending to do a Daji cosplay. To match the overall atmosphere, I put on fluffy fox ears and a tail, paired with a golden wig and red contact lenses, preparing to shoot a set of ancient style photography photos in this space full of Chinese classical atmosphere.
Walking in from the lobby, the first thing I saw was the huge narcissus flower installation at the entrance, which automatically opens and closes, matching the red background wall, making it very suitable as the first stop for taking pictures. Because I wanted to completely record this experience, I booked the store's exclusive makeup styling department in advance. For people who want to experience Hanfu or cosplay, the service here is very reassuring. The clothing area is filled with Hanfuses of various dynastic styles, from daily styles to gorgeous styles suitable for blockbuster photos. If you bring your own cosplay costume, you can also get corresponding hairstyles and makeup done here. The makeup artist who did my styling for me was very meticulous; the base makeup was adherent, the eye makeup was exquisitely drawn, and paired with my fox-ear wig, it modified my facial contours very naturally. The wig was worn very securely, and the hair accessories were also firmly fixed, so I didn't have to worry about them falling off due to big movements when taking pictures. After changing clothes, I held up my skirt and walked inward along the black-and-gold marble corridor, with huge floral arrangements on the red walls and warm yellow bamboo-woven lanterns, making me instantly feel immersed in the scene.
I suggest that if you come to play, arrive about an hour early. Because in the area outside the hall, there are NPCs in ancient costumes walking around at any time. They will actively talk and interact with guests, which is very enthusiastic. There are also traditional ancient-style mini-games like archery and pitch-pot set up nearby. I tried pitch-pot; although the hit rate was average, the process was very interesting. Don't throw away the silver notes won from playing games; they can be accumulated to be used in the subsequent auction session, or exchanged for peripheral small gifts at the exchange counter. This design makes the time waiting for the feast to open very fulfilling and not boring at all.
What I booked this time was the 19:00 'Yuegang Qiyuan' themed feast. The layout of the entire hall is surround-style, with a huge stage in the middle. Once the lights dim, the performance officially begins. The process of the entire banquet is an immersive experience, and with every dish served, the stage performs a corresponding plot. The performance not only has dynamic backgrounds on a large screen, but also live-action performances by actors on site. What impressed me the most was a high-altitude wire-fu play; actors wearing flowing blue ancient costumes were suspended mid-air dancing gracefully, paired with paper falling from the stage and dry ice mist, bringing a very strong visual impact. There was also a huge wooden boat prop nearby, and the actors interacted on it, making it very immersive.
In terms of catering, the main focus is replicating ancient palace cuisine. The first dish, Golden Soup Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, had a very thick broth, from which the fresh sweetness of seafood and meat could be tasted, and the ingredients inside were very solid. Next was a shrimp rice soup; the tomato-simmered soup base was orange-red, the shrimps were large and their meat was firm and bouncy, and eating the rice soup left a warm feeling in the stomach. There was also pepper-marinated abalone; the plating was very delicate, with the abalone placed on shaved ice and white granules, drizzled with green sauce, and the abalone meat was soft, glutinous, and flavorful, with distinct layers of texture. The tableware used deep-red glazed porcelain with slightly aged textures, matching the overall imperial palace banquet style very well.
As an enthusiast who likes to wear Hanfu and do cosplay on a daily basis, I am very satisfied with the overall performance of the Zhangzhou Imperial Feast. Here, there are both sets suitable for photo checking-in, interactive games, and exquisite catering. From makeup styling and costume changing to dining and viewing performances, the entire process is arranged very coherently. Here, you can not only take satisfying photos, but also feel a strong ancient-style cultural atmosphere. When leaving, I deliberately took a few more photos in front of those traditional Chinese medicine cabinet sets, ending this pleasant time-travel journey.